Bitcoin accepted directly

[Staff 9973]

Hello!

 

We're very glad and proud to announce that from now on we are able to accept Bitcoin directly. Any intermediary acting as a payment processor is no more required.

 

We feel that  this is an important step, since some payment processors have taken or are taking steps which are not totally privacy friendly. Moreover, cutting out any intermediary is very coherent with Bitcoin spirit and unleashes the potential of the cryptocurrency.

 

Kind regards and datalove

AirVPN Staff

[amazake 1]

That's pretty cool! is there any chance though that other cryptocoins (e.g. BCH, LTC, the big ones at least) will be accepted directly in the future, too?

[Staff 9973]

That's pretty cool! is there any chance though that other cryptocoins (e.g. BCH, LTC, the big ones at least) will be accepted directly in the future, too?

 

Hello!

 

We have not ruled out this option, although at the moment we can't promise anything for sure.

 

Kind regards

[SirAlexander 2]

OK that's cool, but I've got the feeling on the contrary that these intermediaries were adding some kind of anonymity to the transaction. Intermediaries are necessary when you need to "disconnect" the sender from the receiver.

[SirAlexander 2]

That's pretty cool! is there any chance though that other cryptocoins (e.g. BCH, LTC, the big ones at least) will be accepted directly in the future, too?

 

I go along. There are cryptocurrencies far more "ecologically efficient" than bitcoin now. BTC is a cryptocurrency of the past.

[Staff 9973]

OK that's cool, but I've got the feeling on the contrary that these intermediaries were adding some kind of anonymity to the transaction. Intermediaries are necessary when you need to "disconnect" the sender from the receiver.

 

 

Quite the opposite, in this very peculiar situation. There are some efficient ways to add an anonymity layer to BTC transactions, regardless of any intermediary. However, when the intermediary makes some precise choices of verification and so on, the anonymity layer gets thinner (not to mention the annoyance of any unnecessary step) and by the way any additional layer and intermediary does not make you use the full potential of Bitcoin.

 

Kind regards

[flat4 79]

Yea! if I only owned any form of bitcoin

[Drunk_Uncle 0]

"Any intermediary acting as a payment processor is no more required."

 

It now looks like paying you via several other cryptocurrencies via CoinPayments.net is still an option. Can you please confirm this?

 

If that's true, that's good news, as it's good to know that we can still pay you via ~20 other cryptocurrencies.

[NigelMansell 3]

You guys are requesting payment to legacy addresses.

 

Please consider offering Segwit addresses instead.

 

1. More responsible use of blockchain space, old addresses have 2x the blockweight
2. Segwit is the default in most new wallets, so using the legacy format hurts user privacy in the case where a customer is sending from a Segwit address
3. Fees for sending from Segwit are cheaper, you will save 50% in sending fees

You can avoid backwards compatibility issues (from users who continue to use legacy addresses beginning with a 1 character) if you provide nested Segwit addresses (the P2SH type beginning with a 3 character). However, this will hurt privacy of customers sending money from legacy addresses, only making customers choose which type they want to pay to (legacy or Segwit) will protect customer privacy for both cases.

[NigelMansell 3]

AirVPN!!!

 

You are also using vanity addresses! That makes it impossible for your customers to get any privacy!

 

 

It's great that you're handling BTC payments directly, but you've swapped 1 privacy problem for another

[gehepa 1]

This has made privacy much much worse. All of your addresses start with 1Air. This is a big flashing sign saying "hey this guy just sent Bitcoin to AirVPN". The addresses must be changed to be random if you are actually trying to improve privacy.

[go558a83nk 362]

Explain it for those of us who aren't bitcoin experts.  Sure somebody can see that Air received some bitcoin but how do they know who sent it?

[NigelMansell 3]

Explain it for those of us who aren't bitcoin experts.  Sure somebody can see that Air received some bitcoin but how do they know who sent it?

 

Think of it like this.

 

You've got a huge map of Bitcoin addresses on a whiteboard. You know who sent some transaction, but not all. If you can get any clues as to who's who, it helps you to deduce the rest by process of elimination. Using vanity addresses (1myNaMEisBoBhfsfdfdhjfhdfdjfh) is a clue, and hurts everyone's privacy a little.

 

For instance, anyone looking at the 1Air... addresses can assume these are all AirVPN addresses. That means any change that gets sent back to AirVPN customers is identified (although before, the Bitcoin payments service AirVPN required the customer email from AirVPN, so this is better)

 

One thing: if anyone else uses 1Air... addresses, by random chance or deliberately as AirVPN do, then that will screw with doing analysis like this. But it's better if there's no extras info to use at all, I really hope this is changed

[JSD 6]

I guess it not help much if Air was using an inconspicious new address every time. AIR would probably have to perform a demanding mixing process, something that might be ot the scope of a VPN provider. I think it's much better if you aredoing the anonymization yorself before you pay them.

[go558a83nk 362]

 

Explain it for those of us who aren't bitcoin experts.  Sure somebody can see that Air received some bitcoin but how do they know who sent it?

 

Think of it like this.

 

You've got a huge map of Bitcoin addresses on a whiteboard. You know who sent some transaction, but not all. If you can get any clues as to who's who, it helps you to deduce the rest by process of elimination. Using vanity addresses (1myNaMEisBoBhfsfdfdhjfhdfdjfh) is a clue, and hurts everyone's privacy a little.

 

For instance, anyone looking at the 1Air... addresses can assume these are all AirVPN addresses. That means any change that gets sent back to AirVPN customers is identified (although before, the Bitcoin payments service AirVPN required the customer email from AirVPN, so this is better)

 

One thing: if anyone else uses 1Air... addresses, by random chance or deliberately as AirVPN do, then that will screw with doing analysis like this. But it's better if there's no extras info to use at all, I really hope this is changed

 

 

OK, I'm looking at it from the perspective of having purchased my bitcoin anonymously using cash and hold it in an electrum wallet...and the receiving address is different from the sending addresses I use.  So, even that it's seen that Air receives from "me" they don't know who "me" is.  Then to link that transaction with my account on Air is a whole other big leap.

[NigelMansell 3]

@JSD & go

 

 

Yeah, both these points are right. That's always the case with privacy, weak links cause info leaks. But that's a good reason to say that it's everyone's responsibility towards each other, not just your own responsibility to yourself. I make sure Air get BTC of pretty anonymous origin, so I've done my bit.

[NigelMansell 3]

(and hey, isn't privacy the whole point of using a VPN?)

[randomly 5]

Are you guys going to put up a new bitcoin addresses to send to, I would really like to take advantage of these sales!!