We continue with the second part of this AMA, where José J. Peréz Aguinaga (Head of Engineering at HOPR) shares more information about HOPR.
User - EQC2025: How many nodes are needed to ensure the operation of the HOPR network and how do you plan to expand the network beyond the first 100 HOPR node PCs?
José Aguinaga - HOPR: It is difficult to measure the number of nodes needed, as if an attacker controls 51% of the nodes, they could expose part of the network to attacks. That's why we continue to gather information on our testnets and hire researchers to obtain more concrete numbers.
User - iicc: What is the difference in latency/bandwidth between not using HOPR, using HOPR with the minimum number of hops, and using HOPR with a large number of hops? How will the use of the HOPR network be charged? Will Exit Nodes be created in HOPR as in TOR? Will the creation of applications on HOPR be incentivized? When does a HOPR node need to perform an "On-Chain" transaction? Are HOPR nodes expected to perform many transactions on Ethereum, considering the high gas price on the Ethereum network?
José Aguinaga - HOPR: In HOPR, the hop involves a battle between privacy and latency. We still don't have the appropriate indicators to determine how many nodes are needed to achieve perfect privacy and how it affects latency. We have conducted experiments where we have improved latency by 100 milliseconds between each node, but we know that geographic location also affects performance. With more research, we can continue to improve.
Regarding the cost of the HOPR network, it is currently based on the number of messages sent, regardless of their size. We are working on solutions for when file transfer protocols or other information transfer protocols are established so that 100 messages are not required to transfer a 10 megabyte file.
In HOPR, we do not refer to exit nodes as "Exit Nodes", but we want to call them something else because what matters is the entry. Running a HOPR node requires certain computational capacity and is a complicated and complex system. We want to create lightweight nodes or entry nodes so that users do not have to run a full node, but can pay to send a transaction, just as people can connect via Metamask to make their transactions without the need to run a full Ethereum node.
In HOPR, each transaction and message does not send information On-Chain. Each message is recorded in a smart contract that verifies that the balance between each message is correct. This is called an Off-Chain proof of work. You can send a thousand messages, but that doesn't mean you have to make a thousand On-Chain transactions. The record of transactions is stored in the smart contract. When it is necessary to withdraw the HOPR tokens, the payment channel is closed and a transaction is made to change the balance of the tokens that were made. This is also used in other projects, such as Probabilistic Payments and Relay Tests for streaming.
Joel - Stakely: Do the channels work like in RSK, where a sub-account of sent but not received transactions is created?
José Aguinaga - HOPR: What we see are two people sending messages and receipts to each other. Each wallet has proof of the receipts that are being made. There is a smart contract that verifies that the balance between each message being sent is correct.
User - DKT21: How does HOPR ensure privacy in its network? What is its differentiator compared to the competition? What are the advantages of using an Avado?
Jose Aguinaga: We use encryption to protect the information being sent, and only the immediate node can decrypt it and know who to send it to next. Additionally, we use a format called Sphinx that ensures the package reaches the final recipient without intermediaries knowing who they are.
HOPR's differentiator is its economic incentive for running a node, unlike TOR where users do not receive any benefit. HOPR encourages users to be part of the network and receive rewards.
Avado is a plug-and-play device that allows anyone to enter and participate in the HOPR network easily and simply.
User - CryptoEvolution: Is the number of nodes required in the HOPR network proportional to the amount of data transmitted to maintain flow and speed? What are the differences with TOR, in addition to the token? Do applications and websites need to adapt to the HOPR network or are they fully compatible with the current web?
José Aguinaga - HOPR: The token is the most important difference between HOPR and TOR, as we use a more secure encryption strategy with Sphinx that better protects the protocol. Regarding the number of nodes, we are still researching the optimal amount needed to maintain smooth and fast data transmission. Regarding integration with Web 2.0, our vision is that strong nodes will be the highway and that certain applications, such as Softfi, could implement a Chrome extension to run a lightweight version and access web pages through the HOPR protocol.
User - Batukas: Do you think we are in a time of greater danger for our privacy and why? Do you think most users are not aware of these dangers?
José Aguinaga - HOPR: I believe that current issues in politics, economics, philosophy, and even mental health due to the pandemic, are forcing certain countries and companies to make decisions that, although they may seem to protect the common good, go against privacy.
As an example, the situation in which the United States found itself during the government of Donald Trump, where his political discourse was extremely antagonistic and he was banned from networks such as Twitter, raises the question of where is the right to discuss or the forum of choice if a company can take away a forum from a person.
We are going through critical moments and most people are not aware of it. As a company, we are not approaching political actions or supporting rhetoric. We focus on developing the technology and its project, working for HOPR's vision to go beyond the code and be a movement that decides what is happening.
To conclude, Vitalik recently stated that dangerous communication platforms should not be promoted, but it is also not correct to block an application or user for a hostile opinion. Within HOPR, we will consider running reputation models to isolate these actors and neutralize these types of platforms.
User - Cypherpunk00: If we are living in an "Orwellian Nightmare", how will HOPR defend against cyber attacks and legislative obstacles from large companies that spy on the metadata of private entities and see using the internet with HOPR as a threat?
José Aguinaga - HOPR: HOPR must have a vision beyond a company, a token, or a project. We are working on a legal and decentralized structure where nodes can decide and vote on certain issues. We will soon announce more about this.
User - Cypherpunk00: What other utilities does or can the HOPR token have within the ecosystem? What can be tokenized with HOPR?
José Aguinaga - HOPR: The HOPR token is used to pay fees and as a reward for node operators. It is also used in staking to protect nodes and make decisions in the protocol. We will soon announce important measures that require the use of the token.
User - Cypherpunk00: Does HOPR use the Ethereum blockchain? What algorithm is used to seal transactions in HOPR?
José Aguinaga - HOPR: We use Ethereum to maintain on-chain transactions, to record participation, and to locate node exploration. The ECDSA algorithm is used to sign transactions with elliptic curves and a secp256k1 key, exactly like Ethereum.
User - Cypherpunk00: Can one participate in HOPR governance without holding HOPR Tokens?
José Aguinaga - HOPR: One can participate in governance by making proposals to the code or decisions, but the governance of the project is linked to the economic value of the token.
User - Cypherpunk00: In a utopian world, where the Internet is a public, decentralized, and private good, wouldn't it be difficult to collect data to make predictions with the purpose of improving our society?
José Aguinaga - HOPR: I think this goes beyond the topic of HOPR. Regarding data privacy on the Internet, I think it is important that users have full control of their data and decide whether they want to share it or not, even if it is to improve their online experience.
User - Cypherpunk00: What is HOPR's ideal positioning? Will they allow the creation of other similar ecosystems?
José Aguinaga - HOPR: HOPR is a protocol that allows the construction of multiple applications and ecosystems. We are interested in many projects and applications being developed on HOPR.
User - Cypherpunk00: Is the Message Layer in real-time instant?
José Aguinaga - HOPR: It is not instantaneous, as there are packaging, data sending, and receiving processes that cannot be done in milliseconds. Latency can be less than 100 milliseconds, but HOPR is not a suitable platform for real-time applications.
User - Cypherpunk00: Does HOPR's information delivery structure resemble DAG in any way?
José Aguinaga - HOPR: A DAG is a Directed Acyclic Graph. In this case, the answer is no, HOPR's structure is not acyclic like a DAG, it can be completely cyclic. We are researching the network structure and working on building bidirectional payment channels. We have a great research team to achieve this.
You may also be interested in HOPR's AMA in Spanish with Stakely.io - Part 1
User - Henkreative30: What is the purpose of HOPR and how can it improve what already exists? What is the impact of HOPR on people's real lives?
José Aguinaga - HOPR: HOPR is focused on positively changing the privacy of data and creating a new generation of internet applications that respect user privacy. On the technical side, HOPR has brought together a series of components that make it attractive and can be used for making chats, dating apps, video games, among other applications on a platform.
User - Pedro: Privacy-focused cryptocurrencies have always been a target for government entities due to the double standard of "privacy" vs "legality/illegality". What are the measures (technical and legal) that the HOPR team will take if it is required to "shut down" the HOPR blockchain and pursue its users, for example, due to misuse for major crimes? Second question: What are the three main characteristics that make the implementation of HOPR in Layer 0 on the Ethereum blockchain for message privacy superior to its competitors at the technical level and why?
José Aguinaga - HOPR: HOPR implements a legally approved structure by the Swiss government to argue decisions made about the project itself, which protects it in the long run. A reputation system is also planned to identify and isolate users with negative intentions. HOPR is not yet ready for production, but has a decentralized and protected incentive model that pays nodes.
Finally, HOPR is not a blockchain, but an implementation of Layer 0 on the Ethereum blockchain for message privacy. Its decentralized and protected incentive model that pays nodes has been highlighted as one of the main superior characteristics to its competitors. The HOPR team is made up of people living in Switzerland and familiar with its legal framework.
Joel - Stakely: Well, that's all for today. Thank you very much for being here, those of you who have followed the AMA! Thank you to José! Are you saying goodbye?
José Aguinaga - HOPR: I just want to thank you, Joel, for the invitation, for the opportunity to meet today, and for all those kind words you've given us. It's a pleasure to continue working together. Thank you very much to the community!
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