Author: Michael Folkson 2021-02-27 17:36:51
Published on: 2021-02-27T17:36:51+00:00
There have been ongoing discussions among Bitcoin Core contributors about whether to set a default of lot=true or lot=false for the activation of Taproot. A majority of current and past Core contributors have effectively NACKed setting a default of lot=true, while only a small number have effectively NACKed setting a default of lot=false. Therefore, if Core sets a default, the only possible default at this stage is lot=false.Core forcing users to choose between lot=true or lot=false before using the software is not viable. A suggestion to do so has been withdrawn by ZmnSCPxj. Instead, there has been an idea floated by Rusty and Greg to set a config option that would allow users to easily change the default to their preferred option. However, no one is currently coding this up or intending to open a pull request for it.A non-Core project called BitcoinActivation plans to release lot=true as a default. If anyone runs this software, there will be lot=true nodes on the network regardless of what Core does. In theory, Core could choose not to release any activation code due to the lack of consensus on the lot default or out of concern for a possible chain split if miners failed to activate for a year. If Core chooses not to release anything, Taproot will only activate if users and miners run non-Core software.In the author's personal opinion, Core releasing nothing and putting all users in a position where they must run non-Core software to activate Taproot is highly suboptimal. While there is a small but non-zero risk of a chain split if miners fail to activate within a year if Core releases a default of lot=false, the long-term benefits of Taproot outweigh the downside risk. Ultimately, if the community's appetite for risk and disruption is zero, attempting to activate Taproot may not be the best choice.
Updated on: 2023-05-21T01:19:37.368103+00:00