May 2026 — descriptor fetch delays

Summary. A brief directory-side hiccup slowed the first connection to onion services for some clients. Repeat connections, which reuse a cached descriptor, were unaffected.

Background

To reach an onion address, a client first downloads a small signed document called a service descriptor from a set of directory relays. When those relays are under load, that first fetch is slow, which shows up as a long pause on your very first attempt to open a mirror. Once fetched, the descriptor is cached and later connections are quick.

Practical takeaway

If the first attempt hangs but a second attempt a moment later connects normally, you witnessed exactly this pattern. It is a network characteristic, not a market fault, and it passes on its own.

Last reviewed 2026-05-19.