TFTC: A Bitcoin Podcast #584: The VPN That Can't Track You with Carl Dong
Feb 11, 2025
Carl Dong, a software developer known for creating Obscura VPN and contributing to Bitcoin projects, dives into the world of online privacy. He discusses innovative payment methods for VPN services that protect user anonymity, especially through cryptocurrency. The conversation also touches on the concept of trustless VPNs, addressing censorship challenges, and the importance of transparency in an often murky VPN market. Carl shares insights on enhancing digital freedom and the long-term vision for Obscura, underscoring the need for reliable and user-friendly privacy solutions.
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Private VPN Payments
- Carl Dong built a tool to pay for Mullvad VPN subscriptions using Bitcoin Lightning.
- This project highlighted the synergy between privacy-focused services and private payment methods.
Two-Hop VPN Architecture
- Traditional VPNs have a central point of failure regarding privacy: they see both user identity and browsing history.
- Two-hop VPN architecture solves this by splitting knowledge between entry and exit providers, enhancing privacy.
Collateral Freedom via Obfuscation
- Collateral freedom through obfuscation is key for bypassing internet censorship.
- Mimicking regular HTTP traffic helps VPNs avoid detection and blocking by firewalls and overzealous network admins.