Published on: 2022-08-04T21:47:08+00:00
In a post on the Bitcoin development mailing list, Michael Folkson discusses the history of BIP125 and the implementation of Replace-by-Fee (RBF) rules in Bitcoin Core. BIP125 serves as a means for wallets and nodes to communicate and aims to standardize communication within the ecosystem. While BIP125 has been widely implemented, any changes should only be made to correct errors that deviate from the original intent. It is crucial not to rely on assumptions of node policies for security purposes.The introduction of RBF rules into Bitcoin Core occurred in November 2015, followed by the drafting of BIP125 by David Harding and Peter Todd. However, a discrepancy was discovered in May 2021, revealing that the RBF rules implemented in Bitcoin Core did not align with those outlined in BIP125. This revelation has sparked two perspectives on how to address the issue. One viewpoint suggests abandoning the idea of a specification for RBF rules and solely documenting them in the Core repository. The other perspective advocates for creating a new specification that accurately outlines the RBF rules implemented in Bitcoin Core and provides detailed rationales for these rules.Folkson emphasizes that while policy is generally less risky than consensus, L2 protocol security heavily relies on policy. Therefore, striving for similar standards in policy as in consensus changes is crucial. Documentation is typically done post-merge, but for consensus PRs, having simultaneous release of two points of reference is considered a high standard. As time passes and the ecosystem evolves, it is essential to continually improve and maintain higher standards than those established in 2015.The new RBF rules implemented in Bitcoin Core are currently documented in the Core repository. The developers responsible for policy decisions will have better insight into whether these rules will continue to be iterated upon based on new research on L2 security or if a finalized static set of RBF rules is imminent. In conclusion, maintaining the highest possible standards for step change default policy changes in Bitcoin Core is crucial for the security of L2 protocols.
Updated on: 2023-08-02T07:15:04.672456+00:00