Author: Pavel Moravec 2017-04-08 08:33:01
Published on: 2017-04-08T08:33:01+00:00
The proposed change to activate Segwit on non-upgraded nodes can be implemented quickly, but it may not be feasible for most of the world's mining infrastructure as the current Stratum protocol does not support block version changing. A new standard extension would need to be added to the mining protocol and pool operators would need to change their software. Additionally, all miners would have to update their firmware unless they already have compatible hardware. Until all miners update, the change could result in large differences in mining efficiency, potentially giving an advantage to larger mining operations.While the ASICBoosted hash rate may secure the Bitcoin network better against newer optimizations, this assumes that the new optimization is not compatible with overt ASICBoost. If it is compatible, allowing ASICBoost may not help with "defending against" the new optimization at all and may even make the situation worse.It has been suggested that if only one company used the extra nonce space, they would have an advantage, and it is unclear why the reality should be significantly different in the near future.Regarding potential legal implications, it is unclear whether a patent granted for SHA256 in a particular jurisdiction would be sufficient for Bitcoin to change the Proof of Work algorithm. The proposal to add support for a patented algorithm is considered an unnecessary risk until conclusive legal analysis says otherwise.
Updated on: 2023-06-12T00:01:59.840512+00:00