Directory Peers

[TYKUHN2]

Reduce peering overhead (while introducing minor latency) by implementing "heavy peers" which create a "hub and spoke" web instead reducing the total number of open connections. Currently not important but will greatly improved scalability.

[TYKUHN2]

Research into Tor suggests this is the closest thing to decentralization. Idea to follow

Directory Node

Purpose

Directory nodes receive and track alive peers so that gateways can trivially find them.

Directory nodes could also track gateways but this is undecided.

Security

Cryptographically verified by a trusted party, or parties (for distributed trust.) Revocation is possible, possibly by requiring the trusted party(ies) constantly verify. See Tor directory consensus.

Theoretically a directory could be tainted, but it ought to be detected quickly.