**Original Guide by [u/BondoDeWashington](https://www.reddit.com/user/BondoDeWashington) on [r/Particl](https://particl.reddit.com) subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Particl/comments/6sqm3q/how_to_run_the_particl_wallet_as_a_tor_hidden/**


*FIRST: Completely unnecessary and repetitive warning - **Before doing anything, make sure your wallet is encrypted with a passphrase, the wallet is backed up, and the backup is stored in a safe way.** You are a lot more likely to lose coins because of not doing that than by someone creeping in your connection.*

# Is tor installed?

* At a command prompt just enter `tor`. If it is already running, you should get an error message that says something like "Is tor already running?" That's good if you do. If not, at the command prompt install with: 

`sudo apt-get install tor`
* Then restart your machine, and tor should be running.

# Define Particl as a tor hidden service in the tor configuration file

* To get to your tor configuration file, enter:

`sudo nano /etc/tor/torrc`

* Then in the code enter:

`HiddenServiceDir /var/lib/tor/particl-service/`
`HiddenServicePort 51738 127.0.0.1:51738`

* Save the file with **Ctrl-X** and **Exit**. 
* Restart your machine, and now tor will be running with an address for Particl as a tor hidden service.

# Find your external IP for the hidden service
* At a command prompt enter:

`sudo cat /var/lib/tor/particl-service/hostname`

*It should return an .onion address, **[yourexternalip].onion***

# Modify your "particl.conf" file
* In the *.particl* directory there will be a *particl.conf* file. The wallet can run without that but you can include a lot of startup and operating instructions with it. Your *particl.conf* file will need to contain at least this:

`proxy=127.0.0.1:9050`
`addnode=*[someguysaddress]*.onion`
`addnode=[someotherguysaddress].onion`
`addnode=[yetanotheraddress].onion`
`findpeers=0`
`listen=1`
`bind=127.0.0.1`
`externalip=[yourexternalip].onion`

* You'll need at least one .onion peer in the `addnode=` lines to get started. *You can ask around for some, and you can include my bridge node address which is **quf7tm4gk3xn3aee.onion***

# Start your wallet
* Now you're ready to go, start it up. You should start making connections. If you use the `getpeerinfo` command you'll see the addresses of the peers and they should all be .onion addresses. Some of the peers will show your external IP .onion address and that's normal, those are incoming connections.

## Bridge Nodes

Bridge nodes are nodes that connect to both tor and IPv4/IPv6 nodes. If there weren't any, the tor and clearnet worlds would immediately be running on different blockchains, forking the coin. Having more of them increases the connectivity between the two networks and makes it harder for a bad actor to knock the tor nodes offline by identifying and taking down the all the bridge nodes.

* To make a tor hidden service node function as a bridge node, change `findpeers=0` to `findpeers=1` in your *particl.conf* file.

-That's it!

***All tips will be transferred to original owner of this guide.***

## You might also like:
$PART stakers will get excited about the new feature Particl testnet is running through it's paces: [Conditional Staking](https://particl.news/weve-reset-the-testbed-today-testnet6-is-now-live-69e1c45b4f42) 
![Testnet6](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/2000/1*ds1DMuyLsCwsifap37ACRw.png)