By George Ward
A developer at the Ethereum Foundation has claimed that the IP addresses of Ethereum users are prone to compromise as a component of some metadata. Justin Drake noted that there had been growing concerns over some entities’ abilities to track the IP address of stakers on the Ethereum network.
Possible Security Risks For Ether Stakers
According to the Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake, when validators connect to the network via an Ethereum user that utilizes their IP address to interact with the protocol, this can reveal the identity and location of a validator. Crypto staking involves a user locking up a certain amount of digital assets or tokens as collateral to be eligible to participate in the network and gain rewards.
However, depending on the staking method and the platform, several anonymity and privacy levels exist concerning the disclosure of a user’s IP address. Thus, in some cases, staking might need a public IP address to participate in the network and, as a result, reveal the location and identity of the stakers.
This may concern participants who cherish their privacy and remain anonymous when staking. Moreover, most staking platforms have put in place measures to protect user privacy.
For instance, some platforms or protocols use a technique known as onion routing to obscure a staker’s IP address and conceal users’ information. In addition, some platforms also allow the use of the virtual private network (VPN) or other privacy tools to maintain stakers’ anonymity further.
Ethereum Staking Privacy Level
The level of privacy and anonymity during the staking period depends on the platform, the mechanism used, and the measures stakers use to safeguard their privacy. Accordingly, the researcher advised that individuals must study and understand the privacy consequences of the staking platform they intend to use.
For Ethereum staking, this involves holding a specific amount of Ether in a regulated wallet to help enhance the network’s security and earn passive income. In this process, Drake mentioned that validators help verify transactions, create new blocks, and secure the network by locking some amount of Ether as collateral.
Meanwhile, the researcher noted that despite the many benefits of staking for the Ethereum ecosystem, it has continued to raise concerns over the privacy of users’ IP addresses. Drake explained that all computers operating in the Ethereum network have unique identifiers- an IP address.
According to him, these identifiers allow computers to interact with one another with validators required to connect to the network and perform some tasks. The drawback here is that IP addresses can disclose the identity and location of a validator, hence the privacy concerns.
Additionally, when validators stake their Ether, they run a node communicating with other systems on the protocol. For validators to participate in staking activities, they must connect to the Ethereum network through an Ethereum client like Teku, Lighthouse, or Prysm.
The clients, in return, use the validator’s IP address to connect with the network and send and receive data.
Privacy Concern
Ultimately, IP addresses are essential for the Ethereum network to communicate, but they also expose the locations and information of a validator. This paves the way for hackers or malicious actors to leverage the IP addresses to initiate attacks or access a validator’s space.
Drake noted that law enforcement agencies could also use IP addresses to track down Ethereum validators who might be participating in illegal activities. According to the researcher, after the Ethereum network completes its hard fork, the IP addresses of stakers were reportedly monitored as part of a more comprehensive set of metadata.
The Ethereum Foundation researcher stressed that much metadata allows bad actors to view deposit addresses, withdrawals, and other transaction histories. Meanwhile, Drake advised that validators can address these concerns by using VPNs to protect their IP address.