Monero ( releases "Fluorine Fermi" update: strengthens defenses against "spy nodes," continuing the anonymous offense and defense battle.

The privacy-focused Blockchain Monero (Monero/XMR) has released a significant software update codenamed "Fluorine Fermi" (v0.18.4.3) aimed at enhancing its defenses against "spy nodes," which are malicious actors attempting to compromise the anonymity of user transactions. This upgrade introduces a more intelligent peer selection Algorithm, helping nodes avoid connecting to malicious subnet groups associated with monitoring activities, thereby directing users toward safer peer nodes. This update is the latest move in Monero's "cat-and-mouse game" between privacy advocates and monitoring entities, especially after concerns were raised last year regarding its network security due to Chainalysis's tracking statements.

"Fluorine Fermi" Upgrade: Smart Algorithm Avoids Malicious Monitoring Networks

The Monero team announced this "strongly recommended" upgrade on the X platform, focusing on enhancing the network's robustness and anti-monitoring capabilities.

· Core Defense Mechanism: The new version introduces a smarter peer node selection Algorithm. This Algorithm is designed to help Monero nodes identify and avoid connecting to large subnet groups that are typically associated with large-scale surveillance activities, guiding users to connect with more reliable and privacy-focused nodes.

· Spy Node Threat: "Spy Nodes" are a long-standing threat in the Monero ecosystem. They are malicious nodes or networks that attempt to link users' IP addresses with specific transactions, thereby undermining the transaction anonymity of XMR.

· Ongoing offense and defense battles: The Monero community has long regarded such attacks as one of the most persistent threats to its mission of untraceable transactions. Developers and researchers have explored various defense strategies, including running self-hosted nodes, blacklisting suspicious IPs, and the Dandelion++ protocol (used to obfuscate the origin of transactions before they propagate through the network).

· Limitations of previous defenses: The Monero Research Lab proposed a mechanism at the end of 2024 that allows node operators to block known spy IPs, but experts pointed out that this is only a temporary solution since adversaries can easily create new nodes.

History of Cybersecurity and Risks of Centralized Computing Power

The background of this update is the potential security threats and hash power centralization risks that Monero has previously encountered.

· Chainalysis Tracking Incident: Last year, a leaked Chainalysis video claimed that the blockchain analysis company successfully tracked Monero transactions traceable to 2021 using its "malicious nodes." This incident has reignited concerns about the security of the Monero network.

· Qubic's claim of 51% hash power control: In August of this year, the Layer-1 blockchain Qubic claimed to have controlled 51% of the hash power of the Monero network. Theoretically, achieving 51% hash power control may allow an attacker to rewrite the blockchain history, perform double-spending attacks, or censor transactions.

· Monopoly Intent: Qubic founder Sergey Ivancheglo admitted that this strategy aims to monopolize Monero mining and ultimately reject blocks from competing mining pools. Although Qubic suffered a DDoS attack at the beginning of August that led to a decrease in hash power, it subsequently recovered and claimed to have gained control of the majority of hash power.

Conclusion

The “Fluorine Fermi” update of Monero proves the blockchain's ongoing commitment to maintaining user privacy. In the context of increasing monitoring in the crypto world, Monero is striving to stay ahead in the privacy protection "cat-and-mouse game" by introducing more complex algorithms to evade spy nodes. Despite facing tracking threats from analysis companies like Chainalysis and the 51% hash power concentration risk posed by entities like Qubic, Monero's developers have always focused on enhancing anonymous transactions through technological innovation, ensuring its status as a leading privacy coin.

Do you think that, in the face of increasingly complex national and professional-level surveillance technologies, these defensive software updates for Monero can continuously and effectively maintain its core anonymity?