Author: Clara Shikhelman 2023-05-10 15:59:13
Published on: 2023-05-10T15:59:13+00:00
In an email thread, a discussion was had about the usefulness of reputation systems in Lightning Network. The main argument against them was that they are susceptible to sudden behavioral changes and whitewashing attacks. However, in the design suggested, fees are a way to put a price on having a good reputation, and it cannot be used in the distant future. Good reputation is also a function of the general environment. It was mentioned that nodes can go rogue, but the price of a good reputation would be similar to the amount of damage they can create. The issue with gossiping about reputations was also addressed, stating that nodes are not gossiping about their peers' reputations. The only thing communicated is whether an HTLC should be granted access to all resources or just the restricted part. The discussion then moved to how many repeat interactions nodes get from individual senders, as this data would help inform decisions. It was suggested that large routing nodes may have sufficient data to make informed decisions, while edges may be more vulnerable, but they would also be used by fewer senders, making the impact of an attack proportionally smaller. Finally, it was mentioned that data collected from volunteers would hopefully provide more insight into these issues.
Updated on: 2023-06-03T12:50:46.845909+00:00