Author: Zac Greenwood 2021-06-30 11:33:38
Published on: 2021-06-30T11:33:38+00:00
In a recent discussion on the Bitcoin-dev mailing list, there was debate over whether nodes or merchants enforce consensus rules in the Bitcoin network. One participant argued that a node (software) doesn't enforce anything and that merchants enforce consensus rules by running a node which they believe to enforce the rules of Bitcoin. However, another participant disagreed, stating that a node definitely enforces consensus rules and defines what is Bitcoin. In response to other questions regarding chain splits, game theory, soft fork signaling, and who enforces consensus rules, the participants offered various perspectives. One participant noted that miners enforce censorship by simply not building on any non-censoring blocks and that mining is trading capital for more later. They also emphasized that anyone can mine, and that's your vote. Overall, the conversation highlighted the complexity of enforcing consensus rules in the Bitcoin network and the different viewpoints surrounding this issue.
Updated on: 2023-06-14T23:43:07.180665+00:00