The debate is over whether Bitcoin Core should continue supporting an encrypted routing option used to relay peer-to-peer traffic, alongside the clearnet, Tor, and I2P. CryptoSlate reported that poor node health prompted maintainers to weigh dropping the feature.
Bitcoin Core developers are questioning whether the reference client should keep supporting an encrypted privacy routing network after one of its transport layers was reported to have only seven healthy nodes, a level low enough to raise concerns about reliability and user exposure to eclipse attacks.
The debate is over whether Bitcoin Core should continue supporting an encrypted routing option used to relay peer-to-peer traffic, alongside the clearnet, Tor, and I2P. CryptoSlate reported that poor node health prompted maintainers to weigh dropping the feature. For related coverage, see Best Bitcoin Multisig Wallets in 2026.
This is developer skepticism, not a confirmed failure of the network. The conversation is about whether continued support is justified given the small number of nodes, and no decision to remove the code has been finalized. For related coverage, see Best Bitcoin Exchange Aggregators in 2026.
WHAT TO KNOW
A healthy node in this context is a reachable, well-behaved peer that reliably relays traffic and stays online. When only a handful of such nodes exist, the transport becomes concentrated among a few operators, which weakens the decentralization the option is meant to provide. For related coverage, see XRP Network Activity Drops Nearly 50%: What It Means for the Market.
Bitcoin Core’s networking documentation describes CJDNS as an optional encrypted IPv6 network the client can use to reach peers, according to the client’s CJDNS documentation. A thin set of nodes limits the routing diversity those transports depend on to resist targeted disruption. For related coverage, see Bitcoin Faces Decline Amid Political Tensions and Fed Decisions.
The specific risk raised is an eclipse attack, in which an adversary surrounds a node with connections it controls, cutting it off from the honest network. Fewer healthy peers make it easier for an attacker to dominate a node’s connections, which is why node count is treated as a security signal and not just an uptime metric.
Bitcoin’s privacy transports rely on active volunteer node operators, and thin operator participation is what triggered the Core discussion. When maintainers publicly question an integration, that scrutiny can shape whether operators keep running the infrastructure or migrate away. Readers weighing their own setup can compare hardened self-custody approaches such as Bitcoin multisig wallets that reduce single points of failure.
Interest in stronger transaction privacy has grown across the ecosystem, with some long-term holders reportedly eyeing privacy-oriented chains, as covered in reporting on a possible shift by Bitcoin OGs toward Zcash. The node-health issue is narrower, focused on the transport layer rather than on-chain confidentiality.
What to watch next is concrete: whether the reported node count recovers, how Bitcoin Core maintainers respond, and whether a future release changes the default support for the routing option. Node health is not fixed, and swings in participation can reverse, much as the sharp drop in XRP network activity showed elsewhere.
None of this touches Bitcoin’s base-layer security directly. The network’s mining, difficulty adjustments, and block production continue regardless of which optional transports the client ships, and the question here is narrowly about one privacy connectivity path, not the health of the chain itself.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Always do your own research before making decisions.
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