arXiv · 2607.23825
Bridging the Epistemic Gap in the Invisible Internet: Extended Mathematical Modeling and Empirical Characterization of I2P Topology
Abstract
The Invisible Internet Project (I2P) is a decentralized, peer-to-peer network underpinning secure and adversarial communications with major implications for cybersecurity and national security. Its global topology emerges from thousands of independent peer-selection decisions, producing a hub-dominated, complex structure that resists external observation. Prior models based on protocol documentation failed to capture real-world behavior. We close this gap with an Extended Mathematical Model (EMM) derived from production code and validated on a six-router, geographically distributed testbed over thirty days. Results reveal limited router visibility (~25% of nodes), relativistic tier allocations, strong Fast-tier tunnel preference, and overrepresented High Capacity-tier exploratory tunnels. The model accurately predicts emergent topological asymmetries and defines the adversarial resources required to compromise privacy, providing a principled foundation for cyber deterrence and secure decentralized network design.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Explore connections, maps & timelines
Siddique Abubakr Muntaka, Jacques Bou Abdo, Liaquat Hossain. 2026-07-26. Bridging the Epistemic Gap in the Invisible Internet: Extended Mathematical Modeling and Empirical Characterization of I2P Topology. https://arxiv.org/abs/2607.23825
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.