• Forum has been upgraded, all links, images, etc are as they were. Please see Official Announcements for more information

Development Update - August 19, 2014

eduffield

Core Developer
Bug squashing and the stability of Darksend

During the last week we’ve been squashing bugs in the RC4 client and getting everything as stable as possible. As of the last update, it’s working for nearly everyone and humming along.

The next 3-6 weeks will be spent creating the RC5 client which will have a few minor updates including some known issues resolved along with a basic gui that shows the current status of Darksend.

Also, we’ll be working on improving the Darksend source code and getting it ready for other programmers to help out. It needs heavy commenting and some basic refactoring.

Kristov Atlas and the code/security review

Kristov is preparing deliverables for both the strength of anonymity and the code security of Darksend. Expect this to be released while work on RC5 is ongoing. Depending on what Kristov has found, this could delay RC5 so that we can fix important issues. As it currently stands, that doesn’t appear to be a concern.

Enforcement

Due to the delayed release of RC4, enforcement of masternode payments was not able to be extensively tested. We plan on beginning testing this feature soon. If possible, it will be turned on in mainnet before the launch of RC5.

Open Sourcing

RC5 should be solid for open sourcing. We’ll have someone else look the source over, then we’ll be open-sourcing soon after. While this is ongoing, we’ll start work on our next project.

Utilizing the Masternode network - DarkTor

One of the future goals is to turn the masternode network into a decentralized business for masternode operators. To do this we’ll add features that improve the privacy of end users and compete with centralized businesses. Our first endeavor into this is to make a completely private tor network within Darkcoin.

The Darkcoin network will begin to offer anonymous internet access via the masternode network. As a user, all you’ll have to do is pay a fee for 24 hours of access. This fee will be paid to a masternode in much the same way the masternode fees are paid, using a deterministic algorithm for distributing the payments evenly across the whole network.

There’s a few benefits to running a private tor network through Darkcoin.
  • Sybil resistant - Due to the cost of obtaining masternodes, it will be very difficult for any one person to view all traffic.
  • Anonymous Payments - Users can pay anonymously for the service
  • Private Network - Our tor network will be internal to darkcoin only. All traffic will be paid traffic, so the cost of running the service should be profitable for the masternode operators.
  • Faster than tor - Tor has historically been very slow. This will be a lean version, that has much higher throughput.

As for the cost of the service we’re thinking $0.50 per day or something to that effect.

We’re still working on the details how this will function and this isn’t a feature that we’re absolutely set on. We’re very interested to get the community’s response to see if it’s viable .

Other Future Ideas

Maybe after it’s opensource other developers can help with some of these ideas:

https://darkcointalk.org/threads/list-of-future-development-ideas.89/
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Does that mean I will not have to pay for VPN anymore? And if I own a Masternode I will have the DarkTor network completely free?
Great to be a part of it.
 
This is awesome and exactly what the market needs. Just when Bitcoin is struggling with New York anti-privacy regulations and when the 'old' Tor network is struggling with a new vulnerability, Darkcoin team's solutions will shake the market. Good job!

Edit: I can already feel NSA preparing a new slide show about Darkcoin, just like they did about Tor :)

http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/world/nsa-slideshow-on-the-tor-problem/499/
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Whhaattt? This just keeps getting better and better. It's like a science fiction ride on a rocket to the end of a rainbow where there is a big ole digital pot of crypto coins. The Tor network has some pretty impressive stats I mean at one point 5 million users. That is alot of DRK at 50 cents a user per day. I mean I am sure we will not dark gravity well them all in at once, but if we were to get a decent portion in to our dark cavern I would be one happy master of a node.
 
Few notes on DarkTor:

1. In order to make this thing popular pricing should be corrected imo:
$0.50 x 30 days = $15 per month is too much. You can easily find VPN for $1-5 per month.
Charging less will bring more popularity and more users to the service and to Darkcoin thereafter.
And that will pay MNs' owners more by simply driving $ price of their 20% miners fees up.

2. 24h payment window... Couldn't we utilize pay-for-what-you-use model? Or at least make it hourly.
Or was it mentioned just to give an example of the price level?

3. Does that mean that traffic will go through MNs? Amazon MNs' traffic bills could be reeeeally huge in that case...
That's something MNs' owners should be aware of.
 
Bug squashing and the stability of Darksend

During the last week we’ve been squashing bugs in the RC4 client and getting everything as stable as possible. As of the last update, it’s working for nearly everyone and humming along.

The next 3-6 weeks will be spent creating the RC5 client which will have a few minor updates including some known issues resolved along with a basic gui that shows the current status of Darksend.

Also, we’ll be working on improving the Darksend source code and getting it ready for other programmers to help out. It needs heavy commenting and some basic refactoring.

Kristov Atlas and the code/security review

Kristov is preparing deliverables for both the strength of anonymity and the code security of Darksend. Expect this to be released while work on RC5 is ongoing. Depending on what Kristov has found, this could delay RC5 so that we can fix important issues. As it currently stands, that doesn’t appear to be a concern.

Enforcement

Due to the delayed release of RC4, enforcement of masternode payments was not able to be extensively tested. We plan on beginning testing this feature soon. If possible, it will be turned on in mainnet before the launch of RC5.

Open Sourcing

RC5 should be solid for open sourcing. We’ll have someone else look the source over, then we’ll be open-sourcing soon after. While this is ongoing, we’ll start work on our next project.

Utilizing the Masternode network - DarkTor

One of the future goals is to turn the masternode network into a decentralized business for masternode operators. To do this we’ll add features that improve the privacy of end users and compete with centralized businesses. Our first endeavor into this is to make a completely private tor network within Darkcoin.

The Darkcoin network will begin to offer anonymous internet access via the masternode network. As a user, all you’ll have to do is pay a fee for 24 hours of access. This fee will be paid to a masternode in much the same way the masternode fees are paid, using a deterministic algorithm for distributing the payments evenly across the whole network.

There’s a few benefits to running a private tor network through Darkcoin.
  • Sybil resistant - Due to the cost of obtaining masternodes, it will be very difficult for any one person to view all traffic.
  • Anonymous Payments - Users can pay anonymously for the service
  • Private Network - Our tor network will be internal to darkcoin only. All traffic will be paid traffic, so the cost of running the service should be profitable for the masternode operators.
  • Faster than tor - Tor has historically been very slow. This will be a lean version, that has much higher throughput.

As for the cost of the service we’re thinking $0.50 per day or something to that effect.

We’re still working on the details how this will function and this isn’t a feature that we’re absolutely set on. We’re very interested to get the community’s response to see if it’s viable .

Other Future Ideas

Maybe after it’s opensource other developers can help with some of these ideas:

https://darkcointalk.org/threads/list-of-future-development-ideas.89/

HOLY CRAP!!

I don't usually use profanity but this is f*in' awesome! So glad I took advantage of the ADD dumpers to buy another masternode!

Evan, I am straight up in awe of the work you do and the pace at which you do it! This is a group going places, and I am glad to be a part of it.

I pitty the idiots that sold at .0022....

In the words of the immortal Nelson Muntz: HA, ha!!!!

Me and my nodes will HODL and follow you to the end of time you hunk of man meat, you! (straight up hetero, BTW)

DRK FTW!!!!!

Tao
 
I knew it, thats why i bought today more coins and started third MN!
Thanks Evan, good news!
 
There need to be an option to run a masternode, but not participate in the DarkTor network and of course you will not get paid then because you don't forward or exit traffic.
 
Will I get charged or even sent to prison if crimes are comitted using my IP?
Does your ISP going to jail if you are comitted crimes via your internet connection?
Or are bank summoned to court if i send money to criminal via bank?

I think answer is no.
 
Put the hooks in the daemon and have other services as separate packages. Install them or not, your choice. Makes updating stuff easier too.
 
People liked this and suggested I bring it here:

If that's a serious concern, presumable Evan could set it up so masternodes can opt out of being an exit node (so just be a relay), and have a specific fee paid just to exit nodes. Then the market will sort it out. The less masternodes want to be exit nodes the more the remaining exit nodes will get, adding incentive to be an exit node.​
 
Just a few thoughts.
Will I get paid 50 cents even if someone drains my ec2 traffic worth 50 dollar?
Will I get charged or even sent to prison if crimes are comitted using my IP?
This might make running masternodes very unattractive.

I think that the price and final implementation is still open to debate.

Running Tor relays is not illegal in most places. In the US there is quite a established history of rulings that say so. Anyway, I agree that this should be optional for masternode owners, both for legal and economical reasons.
 
Well another reason to not use Amazon for Masternodes. :D
In fact Amazon is friendly towards running Tor relays in their machines, but there are others like Digital Ocean that aren't, so this should be considered.
 
Back
Top