user3667: What does an Electrum server do that a regular Core full node doesn't do? If the wallet downloads block headers and verifies transactions using SPV and bloom filters, why does it require special servers at all?

user65907: Quoted directly from the source:

One security advantage of Electrum is that servers are authenticated
  using SSL; this provides protection against MITM attacks, which is a
  problem for thin clients, including bloom filter clients. However,
  this advantage comes at the cost of  privacy, because the main
  Electrum server you use knowns which addresses you are using; bloom
  filter clients have more privacy although the default setting in other
  clients is to favor speed at the expense of privacy.


3667: <p>What does an Electrum server do that a regular Core full node doesn't do? If the wallet downloads block headers and verifies transactions using SPV and bloom filters, why does it require special servers at all?</p>
 65907: <p>Quoted directly <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Romel_Vera/publication/301958666_CRYPTOGRAPHIC_CHARACTERIZATION_OF_BITCOIN_SOFTWARE_ELECTRUM/links/572cd2e508aeb1c73d11b219/CRYPTOGRAPHIC-CHARACTERIZATION-OF-BITCOIN-SOFTWARE-ELECTRUM" rel="nofollow noreferrer">from the source:</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>One security advantage of Electrum is that servers are authenticated
  using SSL; this provides protection against MITM attacks, which is a
  problem for thin clients, including bloom filter clients. However,
  this advantage comes at the cost of  privacy, because the main
  Electrum server you use knowns which addresses you are using; bloom
  filter clients have more privacy although the default setting in other
  clients is to favor speed at the expense of privacy.</p>
</blockquote>
