Understanding Bitcoin Core’s DEFAULT_MAX_PEER_CONNECTIONS Setting: Some Clarification Needed

As a Bitcoin enthusiast and long-time Bitcoin Core user, you’re probably no stranger to the importance of peer-to-peer connections in establishing and maintaining a secure connection with other nodes on the network. However, I recently came across an article that caught my attention: a claim that Bitcoin Core’s DEFAULT_MAX_PEER_CONNECTIONS setting is 130, not the standard 125.

While I haven’t been able to confirm this information through official channels or credible sources in the Bitcoin community, I’ve done some more research to provide some information and clarification on the matter.

Source of confusion

In Optech Newsletter #310, Olaf Jensen published an article stating that DEFAULT_MAX_PEER_CONNECTIONS is 130. This claim has been widely circulated on the internet, but has not been properly verified or confirmed by other credible sources in the community.

Why this difference?

There are several reasons why this difference in values ​​may exist:

• Source of original statement: The author of the newsletter may have made a mistake or misinterpreted the information.

• Different version of Bitcoin Core

  : It is possible that a different version of Bitcoin Core was used to set the value to 130, which may lead to discrepancies between different versions.

• Customization and configuration options: Bitcoin Core offers various options for personalizing peer-to-peer connections, and some users may have skipped or modified these settings.

Verdict:

Digging deeper into this issue, it should be noted that the default value of 125 is still widely accepted and used in the community. This setting is intended to allow for a reasonable number of peer-to-peer connections while minimizing potential security risks.

In light of this information, I would not recommend changing the DEFAULT_MAX_PEER_CONNECTIONS setting from its current value of 125. However, users who are comfortable with customizing their Bitcoin Core settings may want to consider options to increase or decrease the number of peer-to-peer connections based on their specific needs and preferences.

Conclusion

While we cannot confirm the exact reason for the different DEFAULT_MAX_PEER_CONNECTIONS values ​​in The Optech Newsletter #310, it is important for users like you to verify information through reliable sources and official channels whenever possible. This way, we can collectively ensure a smoother and more secure Bitcoin experience.

If in the future you have any questions about specific settings or configurations, I recommend consulting other experienced users or checking out the official documentation and resources provided by the community.