In the past week, the ATOR project has undergone significant developments that have stirred considerable drama within its community so I thought it would be worth doing a an up to date progress report.
To summarize:
- ATOR removed 1000 relays, citing risks and threats.
- The project reaffirmed its dedication to a free, community-driven and secure network as the reason for these relay removals.
- As a consequence the $ATOR price dropped to below $1 after reaching an all-time high of $2 just days before the relays were removed.
A blog post by the maintainers of the anonymity network shed light on the decision, explaining that Tor network relays, which serve as routing points to anonymize traffic, should ideally be operated by volunteers passionate about privacy, security, and freedom of information on the internet. The removal of relays was prompted by the discovery that some operators were engaging in a high-risk, for-profit crypto scheme without the endorsement of the Tor Project. They saw that this posed a potential threat to the project, both in terms of compromising its values and exposing it to potential legal risks.
The decision to remove relays sparked intense discussions within the community, focusing on relay policies and what constitutes a violation. Despite the negative impact on the project's price, I argue that this move was a bold and necessary step in the best long-term interests of the project. The maintainers likely recognized the potential price and community repercussions but prioritized the project's integrity over short-term financial considerations. Very commendable. I do think this is now a very likely, great ‘buy the dip opportunity’ and the project will bounce back from this drama. (Note: Not financial advice.) Show Less
3
