Ethereum JSON-RPC endpoints as a TOR/Onion Hidden Service – Anonymity

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Communication with the Ethereum blockchain has its standard way and it’s using JSON-RPC API requests. You can connect to your own Ethereum nodes or to Ethereum nodes run by an RPC provider. 

When we speak about decentralization, one of its objectives is to bring anonymity. Many solutions were focusing on the front end. Assuming that placing their dApps (decentralized apps) on IPFS (inter-planetary file system) will bring them and their user becomes fully untouchable. The truth is different. Let’s come back to the Tornado Cash issue. The main problem is not so many people are capable of running their own node. It’s much more comfortable to choose an RPC provider and simply copy-paste the given JSON-RPC endpoint to your dApp. 

Here the main problem occurs. RPC providers want to be fully within the law, so if any official decides to block some JSON-RPC endpoints, a provider needs to do that. This way, they can identify endpoints of some specific dApp, no matter if a dApp is or is not fully decentralized, will stop working for its users, because the endpoints are blocked. In the other words, the backend for this dApp is shut down. 

Additionally, providers are usually requiring KYC. This way, the author of the dApp can be identified too and sanctioned. 

ZMOK brings the solution for such a situation and for all future creators of any solution that requires full anonymity for creators and users: JSON-RPC endpoints as a TOR/Onion Hidden Service

Important features

  • Custom Web3 ProviderEngine enhanced with TOR SOCKS5 proxy 

  • A browser communicates with the dApp frontend hosted on IPFS. The backend connection is ZMOK’s or your own JSON-RPC ONION endpoint.

  • If you run your own proxy e.g. with Docker, unstoppability is strengthened.

  • You can get your endpoint with all paid accounts as an extension with no extra charge

  • It’s not a P2P TOR connection between ETH nodes. Communication between nodes keeps being the same and is out of our diagram. The JSON-RPC endpoint itself is a TOR hidden service.

  • RPC provider that does not require KYC

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Country: United States
Website: https://zmok.io