On Monday, the Tor Project announced it removed specific relays deemed harmful to the network’s integrity. Many relays were associated with a for-profit scheme accepting cryptocurrency payments.

• Tor discovered numerous relay operators associated with the scheme unknowingly placed themselves in high-risk regions. Tor also noted that financial plans and projects with malicious intent violate the integrity and safety of the network and its users.
• Although Tor did not specifically name the cryptocurrency operation, it is likely the ATOR project. This project sought to enhance the TOR network through cryptocurrency payments to relay operators. ATOR’s value plummeted to below $1 after Tor shut down 1,000 nodes, and ATOR’s maintainers now plan to develop their decentralized routing network.

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