Read on Twitter
1/
In light of the whole @oxt_btc revelations about @wasabiwallet, I am summarizing my pleb understanding of the #coinjoin #Bitcoin
privacy debate for revision / criticism, and ask a few questions.
Here is what I've gathered:
In light of the whole @oxt_btc revelations about @wasabiwallet, I am summarizing my pleb understanding of the #coinjoin #Bitcoin
privacy debate for revision / criticism, and ask a few questions.Here is what I've gathered:
2/
Both teams criticize the other's coinjoin implementation as being critically dysfunctional. Samourai mounts several critiques:
Both teams criticize the other's coinjoin implementation as being critically dysfunctional. Samourai mounts several critiques:
3/
First, Wasabi's process of repeatedly breaking large utxos into increasing numbers of 0.1xxx-sized chunks of mixed coin ("peeling") not only leaves doxxic change that, if spent with any of those chunks (which is easy to do), deanonymizes those mixed chunks.
First, Wasabi's process of repeatedly breaking large utxos into increasing numbers of 0.1xxx-sized chunks of mixed coin ("peeling") not only leaves doxxic change that, if spent with any of those chunks (which is easy to do), deanonymizes those mixed chunks.
4/
Second, even without fucking up by spending the doxxic change, there is still some fingerprint that allows an adversary to maintain an ID on large amounts of coins flowing through the coordinator.
Second, even without fucking up by spending the doxxic change, there is still some fingerprint that allows an adversary to maintain an ID on large amounts of coins flowing through the coordinator.
5/
I never rightly saw an ELI5 for this flaw; I've heard from Samourai supporters that Twitter is a poor medium for explaining it.
I never rightly saw an ELI5 for this flaw; I've heard from Samourai supporters that Twitter is a poor medium for explaining it.
6/
What I do see are the scary side-by-side comparisons of KYCP's infographics showing entropy and Boltzmann scores, and Wasabi looks like a mess while #whirlpool has those neat 5 inputs and outputs.
What I do see are the scary side-by-side comparisons of KYCP's infographics showing entropy and Boltzmann scores, and Wasabi looks like a mess while #whirlpool has those neat 5 inputs and outputs.
7/
Third, there is the new claim that emerged yesterday that remixing even one mixed chunk undoes the privacy gains of any previous mixes. A pretty damning claim if true, but I will need to see an explanation and hope it's digestible.
Third, there is the new claim that emerged yesterday that remixing even one mixed chunk undoes the privacy gains of any previous mixes. A pretty damning claim if true, but I will need to see an explanation and hope it's digestible.
8/
Then you have Wasabi supporters' claims that whirlpool is broken. The core argument seems to be that its design cannot help but put Samourai in the position of being a single point of failure.
Then you have Wasabi supporters' claims that whirlpool is broken. The core argument seems to be that its design cannot help but put Samourai in the position of being a single point of failure.
9/
Basically, if you mix as a light client, SW has your xpub --> no privacy from them.
If you mix with dojo, you are forced in pools with light wallet users. If your mixing round is 4 such users, you are doxxed to SW by process of elimination.
Basically, if you mix as a light client, SW has your xpub --> no privacy from them.
If you mix with dojo, you are forced in pools with light wallet users. If your mixing round is 4 such users, you are doxxed to SW by process of elimination.
10/
There may be good arguments for why this might be an acceptable tradeoff for now, and it may be temporary. But so long as it continues, the best a dojo user can hope to do is mix often enough to hope to intermingle with enough fellow dojo users to build up a good anon set.
There may be good arguments for why this might be an acceptable tradeoff for now, and it may be temporary. But so long as it continues, the best a dojo user can hope to do is mix often enough to hope to intermingle with enough fellow dojo users to build up a good anon set.
11/
This is my understanding of the privacy wars, informed largely by discussion here on twitter.
Warning: citations needed! I'm just trying to get a feel for the broad arguments in play. This thread isn't a statement of the facts, it's a question: do I have a handle on this?
This is my understanding of the privacy wars, informed largely by discussion here on twitter.
Warning: citations needed! I'm just trying to get a feel for the broad arguments in play. This thread isn't a statement of the facts, it's a question: do I have a handle on this?
12/
For Bitcoin to succeed, its users must be able to hold their wealth such that it isn't tied to real-world identities. CoinJoin is an important tool for achieving this today, and users need to be able to make informed decisions about what works.
For Bitcoin to succeed, its users must be able to hold their wealth such that it isn't tied to real-world identities. CoinJoin is an important tool for achieving this today, and users need to be able to make informed decisions about what works.
13/
I hope to contribute to that discussion, starting with my candid first appraisal of the situation.
I hope to contribute to that discussion, starting with my candid first appraisal of the situation.
