For anyone reading, we hope this has been an informative discussion.
In short, Spark payments have a few important privacy nuances. Transactions that stay entirely within Spark, Spark-to-Spark, aren’t private and reveal a link between users. When two Spark users pay each other over Lightning, the connection on a Spark explorer is obscured, but timing analysis can still expose the receiver. If you send from your Spark wallet to an external Lightning wallet, Spark only has the same level of visibility as any other LSP. When receiving from an external Lightning wallet into Spark, Spark similarly knows only what an LSP would about the sender. However, the receiver isn’t completely private either, timing attacks can reveal the receiving address and wallet balance, making it less private than a standard Lightning receive.
Replies (1)
Let me translate, if I may:
"Spark payments have a few important privacy nuances."
Only use Blitz, or other Spark wallets, if you want your IP address to appear in David Marcus' personal database, along with your transaction history. Oh, and David loves to kill Palestinians. Does that bother you at all?
"timing analysis can still expose the receiver "
Noting "timing analysis" as a danger when you are using a fully centralized API run by LightSpark is like saying that a machine gun is dangerous because you might drop it on your foot. It's totally irresponsible to divert people with this.
"If you send from your Spark wallet to an external Lightning wallet, Spark only has the same level of visibility as any other LSP."
Fully incorrect. LSPs do NOT know the originator of a payment. Yes, they can see the entry node and exit node, but they do NOT know if the entry node is the actual "originator" or if the exit node is the actual "destination". Please educate yourself on how the Lightning Network works. The Lightning Network is DESIGNED for decentralization and privacy. Spark is not.
