Course:
Crypto Wallets
If you think your IP address is your own little secret in the vast digital landscape, think again! Every time you interact with your crypto wallet, your IP could be waving a flag for trackers. In this lesson, we dive into how to fortify your Metamask wallet’s privacy settings, ensuring that your IP remains your best-kept secret. With the rapid evolution in the technological sphere, the implications of privacy in the blockchain realm have never been clearer—it’s not just about securing your assets, it’s about prioritizing your personal privacy.
By the end of this article, you’ll be equipped to:
Let’s get started on safeguarding your digital persona!
In the lesson, key points were highlighted around altering the default settings in Metamask to protect one’s identity:
Privacy Risks of Default RPC Providers: The lesson starts by explaining that many popular RPC providers like Infura track user IP addresses. The need to switch away from such providers is emphasized repeatedly.
Why Use ChainList.org: The ChainList.org website has updated its dashboard to now include a privacy tab for its nodes. Users can easily see which nodes do not track IP addresses, which simplifies the choice of a secure provider.
Implementation Steps: A quick and straightforward guide was provided on how to change RPC settings in Metamask, emphasizing that using a VPN is also beneficial while using certain services like Flashbots.
To leverage the newfound privacy features shared in this lesson, here are the steps recommended for changing your Metamask settings:
Access ChainList.org:
Select an RPC Node:
Copy the URL:
Open Metamask:
Add a New Network:
Configure Chain ID:
Save Settings:
By following these specific steps, users can significantly enhance their privacy when transacting in the Ethereum network.
The lesson provided critical insights into the importance of privacy within the cryptocurrency landscape, particularly in connection with Metamask and its default settings. Here are some prominent strengths to consider:
Vulnerability of Default Settings: The default RPC settings in wallets are often chosen for convenience rather than security. Users are urged to reconsider these choices since many popular providers, like Infura, track IP addresses, thus endangering users’ anonymity. This point is compelling because it taps into a prevalent misconception that simply having a digital wallet is inherently secure.
Emergence of Privacy-Focused Nodes: As transparency becomes a buzzword in the blockchain ecosystem, the importance of privacy-based nodes cannot be overstated. The introduction of privacy tabs on platforms like ChainList.org reflects an increased awareness and demand for privacy solutions among cryptocurrency users.
Ease of User Empowerment: The steps outlined show that protecting one’s privacy is not technically demanding; anyone with basic knowledge of Metamask can implement these changes. This democratization of privacy empowerment can enhance user vigilance about their online identities, fostering a more informed community.
VPN Considerations: Recommending the use of a VPN when utilizing nodes that may inadvertently track IP addresses further bolsters the argument for a layered approach to security. It illustrates a thorough understanding that while the RPC nodes may not track users, other factors in the digital environment still might.
Potential weaknesses could include:
Overlooking User Responsibility: There’s a slight risk of overwhelming users with the necessity of constant vigilance, which may push some away rather than empower them.
Shortcomings of a Privacy Node: It is crucial to understand that while using non-tracking nodes is wise, users must still remain cautious about other potential data leaks when interacting with blockchain networks.
The lesson serves as a critical reminder of the delicate balance between privacy and transparency in the blockchain sector. While transparency in transactions is fundamental, the transparent nature of blockchain can inadvertently compromise user privacy. This leads us to consider various Cryptocurrencies that have been built with privacy as a prime feature—like Monero or Zcash—which have fundamentally different frameworks compared to Ethereum.
Moreover, in the expanding realm of Decentralized Finance (DeFi), maintaining privacy could become increasingly paramount. For example, platforms like Tornado Cash utilize a privacy-enhancing protocol that obscures transaction histories, illustrating the growing need for innovative approaches that cater to user anonymity.
Blockchain projects focusing on privacy present both significant advantages—like user autonomy over personal data—and challenges regarding regulation and compliance. Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology must find a path that honors both privacy and the inherent transparency that underpins their appeal.
The surge in demand for privacy-centric solutions in the digital landscape signals a potential shift in how individuals perceive their online identities and data security. With more users becoming aware of the vulnerabilities embedded in the default settings of their wallets, we may see increased adoption of privacy-oriented blockchain technologies.
As society increasingly shifts towards digital interactions, the implications of losing privacy can resonate beyond personal discomfort. Potential outcomes include a reticence to enter into blockchain technologies or a surge in demand for privacy-protecting innovations.
Future developments may include advancements in privacy protocols, the incorporation of decentralized identity solutions, and further refinement in the technology that protects user data. With the evolution of blockchain and its rapid adoption, these privacy concerns must be addressed to ensure user confidence in the technology.
As a long-time observer of blockchain technologies and their implications, the lesson acted as a pertinent reminder that discussions surrounding crypto often become detached from personal privacy considerations. The potential for data exposure should never be taken lightly, and I fully support the implementation of practices that enhance individual safety when interacting with financial technologies.
Moreover, it’s encouraging to see the community taking proactive steps to safeguard their identities. Whether it’s through adopting rigorous privacy measures or demanding better transparency from service providers, the empowerment of users is crucial in shaping the future landscape of digital finance.
In summary, the lesson illuminated the crucial steps needed to fortify your Metamask wallet’s privacy settings against unwarranted tracking. By embracing a more educated approach to privacy and utilizing specialized tools, users can ensure their crypto journey remains as secure and anonymous as possible.
As we continue to navigate the transformative potential of technology in finance, the essential role of privacy must not be overlooked. The implications of these practices ripple through the broader crypto ecosystem, offering a shining beacon of hope in protecting personal data amidst an increasingly interconnected digital age.
In today’s digital age, ensuring our online privacy is paramount, particularly within the world of cryptocurrencies. This lesson focuses on how to configure your MetaMask wallet to use alternative RPC settings, mitigating the risk of IP address exposure. With the rise of blockchain technology, understanding these tools not only secures your identity but also enhances the management of your digital assets. This is a critical aspect of navigating the burgeoning world of cryptocurrencies and fits seamlessly into the Crypto Is FIRE (CFIRE) training plan.
RPC (Remote Procedure Call)
Node
Privacy and Security
Latencies
VPN (Virtual Private Network)
Chain ID
Overview: To ensure your Ethereum transactions remain private, modify your MetaMask settings.
Key Points:
Detailed Explanation:
Crypto Connection: Connecting via a non-tracking RPC node is vital in the crypto ecosystem where transactions are often public while user identities can remain private.
Overview: Updating your existing RPC settings prevents IP leaks.
Key Points:
Detailed Explanation:
Crypto Connection: Adapting your RPC settings reflects the iterative nature of maintaining digital security in the evolving crypto landscape.
When employing the above techniques, users gain a clear understanding of the role privacy plays in transactions. Historical hacking incidents, such as the notorious 2016 DAO hack where $50 million worth of Ethereum was stolen, highlight the necessity for robust security practices. In the crypto ecosystem today, users are increasingly recognizing the value of altering their RPC settings as a proactive measure against potential tracking and privacy breaches.
Changing RPC settings to a non-tracking node can directly influence the safety of users’ transactions. If users remain connected to a traditional node that shares IP data, they risk compromising their crypto activities. Conversely, adopting privacy-focused approaches lessens this risk, leading to a more secure blockchain experience.
Each of these takeaways can be applied by users through their ongoing crypto engagements, cultivating a more secure and informed approach to digital transactions and asset management.
Continue to your next lesson in the Crypto Is FIRE (CFIRE) training program, where we dive deeper into navigating decentralized finance (DeFi) and uncovering new investment opportunities in the crypto space!
(38) How to remove INFURA RPC NODE MetaMask IP TRACKING (Consensys) and add POLKNET RPC (Step by Step) – YouTube
Transcript:
This is an emergency broadcast. If you have MetaMask then you need to listen up. Yesterday or the day before MetaMask or Consensys, the people that own MetaMask, announced that they will be officially collecting IP addresses. Everyone’s IP address that uses MetaMask. Now why should you care? That means effectively they can identify you and they know exactly what you’re doing at all times.
This defeats the point of decentralization. So how do I actually get around so that Metamask will not collect my IP address and all of this without using a VPN. So, welcome to Crypto Current. I am your host, Crypto Rick. And today we’re going to be discussing how to remove Infura RPC node and add an alternative node so that you don’t get tracked.
So without further ado, let’s just get straight into it. So this is the news. So this is the news. Consensus says it will collect IP addresses of MetaMask users via Infura. Now, before you get infuriated, what is Infura? Well, Infura is just a group of nodes. It’s a company, effectively, and it does a lot of other things but pretty much it’s the Ethereum nodes that you interact with when you’re conducting your Ethereum mainnet. Okay so it’s pretty much just a group of nodes that will interact with your MetaMask. And as you can see, I believe it’s a
Chinese or Japanese company. So it’s a centralized entity. Now to change away from Infura, these are the steps that you need to take. So the first step is you go at the top and where it says Ethereum mainnet, you essentially click it and then you can go down and add network as if you’re adding a custom RPC network just like you would with Matic or whatever other chain that you’re adding.
It’s as if you’re adding a brand new chain. So then when you actually get to adding the network manually, you put in Ethereum as the name, but it doesn’t really matter what name you put, the new Ethereum, let’s call it Ethereum new. Now for the RPC URL, you put the https2 forward slash eth- ETH dash RPC dot gateway dot poct dot network.
So this is the new node. So we’re changing from the old nodes. We’re going to the new. So before this, if you actually looked at your original Ethereum, it will say something like ETH blah blah blah Infura and you’ll actually see Infura where it says RPC URL but you don’t want Infura you you don’t want those nodes that they’re going to be tracking you want nodes you know some other person’s Ethereum nodes that they can’t track so and what’s poked don’t worry I I’ll explain it but long story short. It’s just a other node. It’s another net. It’s another node
The chain ID you put one the number one aetherium symbol you put ETH and The block Explorer you put ether scan dot IO so HTTPS to forward slashes ether scan dot IO Okay, so it’s still doing everything normally it’s still using etherscan as you know the block explorer it’s still using the same symbol same more or less same name the only thing that’s changing is the node the rpc right and there’s many of them there’s not just one ethereum node out there ethereum node out there so if you don’t uh trust poked and by the way everyone’s using it and i’ve you know hypothetically i used it it’s quite safe you can actually go to a website called
chainlist.org and it actually gives you a list of alternative nodes that you can actually plug in so um i know some people are using this one the alchemy.com one some people are using eth-mainnet you know that one doesn’t really matter what you pick but I mean this one it seems to be the most easiest you know eth-rpc-gateway-poked and poked as I mentioned is a separate node now that’s decentralized it’s not centralized that won’t collect your ip address so now the question is how do you actually remove the old settings
so i actually hypothetically again tried to do this but it wouldn’t actually let me delete the old one so we have eth mainnet and it says here infura i actually saw a lock sign and i wasn’t able to actually alter the original ethereum mainnet one the old one and i wasn’t able to change the rpc url and i wasn’t possibly able to delete it now this is where I want the crypto links to comment below.
How do you actually get rid of the old Ethereum mainnet and more importantly even if we’re using the new network, does the old one still pick up IP signals or is it only when you actually use and make transactions from the new one and if presumably if you’re using the new one then the old one won’t be sending out any signals now you will find that once you open your new Ethereum network you will see all your assets appear normally okay in exact amounts nothing’s lost everything appears as normally and transactions should amounts nothing’s lost everything appears as
normally and transactions should be fine so remember everything stays the same so as I mentioned before and it’s no surprise to any one of you that who owns consensus who owns metamask who owns all of ethereum critical infrastructure well it’s obviously jp morgan and it’s stated here very publicly that jp morgan owns critical ethereum infrastructure and that’s why the whole ethgate scenario happened and i refer you to the quote that i always tell my cryptolinks every single time you see companies i see subsidiaries stop looking at these companies right and just saying oh
they’re just a separate company and a consensus is separate infurious can separate metamask separate no they are not companies. They are subsidiaries. You have to find that ultimately who owns all this stuff, who has merged and acquired all this stuff, who consolidated on all this infrastructure. And then you will find out whether it’s a good entity or a bad entity and act accordingly.
And because JP Morgan are snakes and ConsenSys are snakes find out whether it’s a good entity or a bad entity and act accordingly and because jp morgan are snakes and consensus are snakes and metamask are snakes i would highly recommend you make these changes they literally take one minute barely anything you know it’s safe blah blah blah blah you know it’s better to be safe than sorry and don’t let these banker snakes try and you know ruin decentralization for you so there you go guys thanks for tuning in and watching do check out other videos like comment
and subscribe so as I mentioned stay safe hold the coins we’re all going to make it in the end together but a surf and ride through the Cali you know this Thanks for watching!