SSL / TLS

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and its modern successor TLS (Transport Layer Security) are cryptographic protocols that secure data transmitted over a network. They provide encryption (nobody can read the traffic), integrity (nobody can modify it undetected), and authentication (you're talking to the real server, not an impostor).

Although "SSL" is still commonly used as a name, in practice all modern connections use TLS — the original SSL versions are deprecated and insecure.

How it protects you

When you connect to a server over TLS:

1. The server presents a digital certificate signed by a trusted certificate authority (CA)
2. Your client verifies the certificate is valid and matches the domain
3. Client and server perform a handshake to derive a shared session key
4. All further communication is encrypted with that key

SSL in mining

Mining pools typically expose connections via the Stratum protocol. The original Stratum is unencrypted — any network intermediary (malicious ISP, compromised Wi-Fi, hijacked router) can intercept or alter the connection.

Stratum over SSL (stratum+ssl://) wraps the protocol in TLS. This prevents:

• Hashrate hijacking — attackers silently redirecting your shares to a different pool
• Credential theft — worker name and password exposure
• Fake job injection — causing you to waste work on invalid problems

Most reputable pools (including Kryptex) offer SSL ports alongside plain TCP. If your mining software supports it, prefer the SSL endpoint.

Beyond mining

TLS also secures:

• Wallet APIs and exchanges — protecting login credentials and API keys
• Block explorers and node RPC — keeping queries and transactions private in transit
• Firmware updates — verifying authenticity of ASIC/GPU firmware

See also

• Stratum
• Mining pool
• Phishing