A Monero networking proposal would change how nodes move transactions from Tor and I2P anonymity networks into the public peer-to-peer network. Pull request 11743, opened by Monero collaborator selsta on November 13, would accept transactions from those networks only through inbound connections, then hold them for a randomized interval before relaying them through the public Dandelion++ path. The proposal was open, unmerged and labeled pending review when checked on November 15. It therefore describes a possible node-software change, not a feature users can assume is already deployed.

The proposal standardizes the direction of private-network relays

The submitted documentation says Monero nodes would send Tor and I2P transactions only over outbound connections and accept them only over inbound connections. A node receiving a transaction on an outbound anonymity-network connection would ignore it. The code also changes how the receiving node treats the sender's Dandelion++ fluff flag. On public connections, that flag can request wider relay. Under the proposal, a Tor or I2P transaction would instead enter the forwarding state and wait before being exposed to public peers, regardless of the flag or whether the transaction was first submitted locally.

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A randomized wait is intended to reduce timing clues

The design addresses a metadata problem rather than Monero's ledger cryptography. An observer able to watch both an anonymity network and the public network could compare the time at which the same transaction appears on each side. Adding a variable pause makes that simple timing comparison less direct. The pull request does not claim to eliminate traffic analysis, specify a guaranteed privacy improvement or introduce a new ledger-level anonymity primitive. It also does not publish one fixed delay duration in the proposal summary.

Dandelion++ would still handle public propagation

After the forwarding timer expires, the transaction would move into Monero's public Dandelion++ relay process. Dandelion++ initially sends a transaction along a limited path before broader propagation, making the original source harder to infer from first-seen observations. Monero's own anonymity-network documentation warns that Tor and I2P integration remains experimental and describes cases in which metadata can leak. The proposed change narrows one transition between private and public network zones; it does not make an internet service provider, VPN provider or first remote node unable to observe connection information.

The patch includes regression and connection-direction tests

The pull request changes ten files, adding 263 lines and removing 25 according to GitHub's record. Much of the added code is testing. New cases check whether Tor and I2P transactions are accepted or rejected based on connection direction, whether a hidden transaction remains out of the public transaction pool during its forwarding delay, and whether duplicate or stale relay callbacks can shorten that delay or trigger repeated public notifications. Those tests show the intended behavior, but passing review and automated checks would still be required before maintainers decide whether to merge it.

Review status is the next material signal

Selsta described pull request 11743 as an alternative to an earlier proposal after feedback from another contributor. As of the verification time, GitHub showed one commit, no requested reviewers, no review comments and no milestone. The labels included networking, pending review and needs backport. A merge, release note or tagged Monero version would provide stronger evidence of adoption. Until then, the accurate conclusion is limited: Monero developers are considering a more uniform delayed handoff for Tor and I2P transactions, while the production behavior of existing nodes has not changed because of this open request.

Sources

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