hello everyone

From what I understand about the GUI modes, the simple mode connects to a remote node. The privacy issue with this is that you'll be requesting specific parts of the blockchain from the node, which could be used by malicious nodes to "track" you. However, it's much lighter and faster since there's no need to download the entire blockchain.

So, it's easy to see why it's considered more "secure" to use the advanced mode, though it’s much heavier in terms of storage and healthier for the network.

That said, a question came to mind (sorry if it’s something stupid or nonsensical — I’m still learning and open to reading suggestions): wouldn’t it be possible to download the entire chain from the genesis block or from a specific block, keep only what’s necessary and relevant for your transactions, and discard the rest?

This would be better for users who don’t have the required storage to use the wallet and still secure, since the nodes providing the chain wouldn’t be able to know which part of the chain is relevant to you or what your intent is — making it harder to identify you or find patterns.

Guest12: You can also use advanced mode together with a remote node operated by someone you trust

we already have a pruned mode that removes a lot of data not required for just regular wallet use

that's similar to what you are proposing

selsta I know, but to use any case we face the following problems:

if I don't have any trusted node, I would need to go for the solution of downloading a pruned node, but that would require me to store around 80GB of data.

What I propose (again, I don't know if this is possible, since I don't fully understand the network, so I apologize if there are any mistakes) is to fetch the entire chain, but only keep what's necessary to make future payments (as far as I understand, just store the inputs and outputs that belong to you).

That way, you're not a miner, you're just using it to make transfers without relying on third parties.

<x​3cc:nope.chat> Nodes broadcast new transactions, so there is no way to send transaction without a node

<x​3cc:nope.chat> You can use advanced mode with remote node you trust, as selsta said, also connect to it through tor or i2p

<x​3cc:nope.chat> If you’ve seen chainanalysis showing their tool you know that most compromising privacy thing is then you connect to their node over clearnet without a vpn

<x​3cc:nope.chat> Chainanalysis video showing their tracking tool using spy nodes* to be precise

<x​3cc:nope.chat> When*

Does a node need the entire chain (pruned or full) to send a transaction?

<x​3cc:nope.chat> So even if you use at least a vpn they are have to get servers log records from vob provider and it’s already complicates your deanonymizaton

<x​3cc:nope.chat> Many nodes run pruned blockchain

<x​3cc:nope.chat> As I heard all network can run on only pruned blockchains

I see, thanks!

<x​3cc:nope.chat> No problem, damn I did a lot of typos, don’t want to edit it because on IRC it duplicates messages

<x​3cc:nope.chat> I guess I’m a little bit sleepy 😴

One more thing: can’t I create a transaction locally and then send the signed raw transaction to a node?

<o​frnxmr:monero.social> Yes

So I don't understand why what I said wouldn't be possible. Think of this flow, I’ll number it — tell me at which point my idea fails:

1a. You download the entire chain

2a. Discard everything that is not an output/input from your wallet

3a. Create the transaction locally

4a. Send the signed transaction to a remote node

From what I understand, if using Tor or I2P there's no tracking, because:

1b. It’s not possible to know which blocks/outputs/inputs matter to me, since I downloaded the entire chain

2b. Done locally

3b. Done locally

4b. Using Tor or I2P, your IP isn’t exposed

<o​frnxmr:xmr.mx> 2a?

<o​frnxmr:xmr.mx> discard from the node? Not possible. You need decoys

now I see

<o​frnxmr:xmr.mx> A wallet does 3a and 4a automatically. You can do 3a repeatedly, then choose to submit the raw txs later

now I understand, I forgot about the decoys

thanks!