Are Outgoing Connections to Clearnet Peers Over Tor Really Less Secure?

Hey guys, I’ve set up a Bitcoin full node on Umbrel and I’m kinda lost about this option: Make All Outgoing Connections to Clearnet Peers Over Tor What does it mean that it’s less secure?

I think it’s about a few things: 1. You’ve gotta trust the exit node. 2. Unless you and the other nodes are using encryption (thanks BIP 324), that connection isn’t encrypted. 3. Anyone can run an exit node, even the government or data analysis firms.

Yeah, but they say "slightly" less secure. Could it be related to a Sybil Attack? Like, the Tor exit node could connect you to bad nodes. But that’s tough to pull off, since all your peers would have to be the attacker’s nodes, right?

I think they’re talking about privacy more than security. It’s easier to compromise Tor->clearnet than Tor->hidden service. You should just connect to hidden services instead.

True, but if you’re not using Tor, it’s even easier to get spied on by anyone running a full node. Just think about that.

And don’t forget, Bitcoin Core has patched many known attack vectors, like Sybil and eclipse attacks. So, yeah, use the latest version of Bitcoin Core. Encryption helps when connecting to new nodes.