Why run a node behind Tor
PotCoin is a transparent Proof-of-Stake chain — everything on-chain is public. That's by design. But the network layer is a different story: every peer you connect to sees your IP address as soon as you broadcast a transaction or a staked block. Running the daemon behind Tor closes that gap by tunneling all P2P traffic through the Tor anonymity network.
Who this is for
- Node operators who don't want their home/office IP logged by every peer
- Stakers running a 24/7 validator who'd rather not advertise its location
- Anyone on a restricted or surveilled network
Step-by-step
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Install Tor
# Debian / Ubuntu / Raspberry Pi OS $ sudo apt update && sudo apt install tor # macOS $ brew install tor # Windows: download Tor Expert Bundle from torproject.org -
Make sure Tor is running on port 9050
$ sudo systemctl enable --now tor $ ss -lnt | grep 9050 LISTEN 0 4096 127.0.0.1:9050 0.0.0.0:* -
Edit your potcoin.conf
Path:
~/.potcoin/potcoin.confon Linux/macOS or%APPDATA%\PotCoin\potcoin.confon Windows.# Route all P2P traffic through Tor proxy=127.0.0.1:9050 onlynet=ipv4 listen=0 discover=0 # Optional: only connect to onion seeds # onlynet=onion -
Restart the daemon
$ potcoind stop $ potcoind -daemon -
Verify Tor is in use
$ potcoind getnetworkinfo | grep -A2 networks # look for: "name": "ipv4", "proxy": "127.0.0.1:9050" $ potcoind getpeerinfo | head -30 # external addresses should be onion or your VPN exit -
Confirm DNS is also tunneled
$ potcoind getnetworkinfo | grep -i nameproxy # nameproxy should equal proxy — DNS leaks defeat the whole point
Seed nodes vs staking nodes
The public seed nodes (
seeds.potcoin.com) stay non-Tor on purpose so new wallets can find peers. Personal staking/validator nodes that hold funds — yours — are the ones that benefit most from being behind Tor.
Don't reuse the daemon's wallet over the regular internet
Once you've configured Tor, never start the daemon without it — that one accidental boot leaks your IP to every peer that connects in the first 60 seconds.