Iroh 1.0(iroh.computer)
1368 points by chadfowler 2 days ago | 447 comments
tl;dr: Iroh 1.0 is the first stable release of a networking library that replaces IP-based addressing with public keys, enabling secure, direct device-to-device connections that persist across network changes and NAT boundaries. The release locks in wire protocol and API stability, adds official bindings for Python, Node.js, Swift, and Kotlin alongside Rust, and includes QUIC multipath, NAT traversal, WASM support, and pluggable transports like BLE and Tor. The project's public relays have handled 200M+ endpoints in the last 30 days, with ~95% of connection traffic typically flowing directly peer-to-peer.
HN Discussion:
  • Iroh is best understood as Tailscale at the application layer for app developers
  • Production users praise Iroh's reliability, team responsiveness, and developer experience
  • Decentralized peer-to-peer networking is the future and Iroh advances that vision
  • The announcement lacks clarity on fundamentals like what 'keys' mean and how relays work
  • Skepticism that Iroh solves a real problem given IP, DNS, IPv6, and QUIC already exist