Author: Eric Lombrozo 2015-08-15 23:07:45
Published on: 2015-08-15T23:07:45+00:00
The context is a discussion thread on the Bitcoin-dev mailing list. The main point being discussed is the proposal of a hard fork, Bitcoin XT 0.11A, which includes a bigger blocks patch set, as a solution for scaling the blockchain in a reasonable manner and implementing things like Lightning. However, many individuals are expressing concerns about the proposal, claiming it creates artificial demand for Lightning that would not otherwise exist if the blockchain scaled in a reasonable manner. Some are also questioning the motivations of those advocating for this proposal, accusing them of having a blatant conflict of interest due to their ties to Blockstream, a company that stands to profit directly from artificially limiting the blocksize. Others are pushing back against these accusations, stating that very few of the concerns raised by the technical community seem to be motivated primarily by profit motives and that not making drastic changes is the default consensus policy. They argue that the burden of justifying a change falls on those who want to make the change and that the risk of permanent ledger forks far outweighs whatever benefits protocol changes might bring. Overall, the debate revolves around whether Bitcoin should implement a hard fork or not, with some calling for a less contentious change to be tested first before attempting one that could break things permanently.
Updated on: 2023-06-10T19:42:52.013090+00:00