Published on: 2022-02-27T00:42:22+00:00
In a recent email exchange on the bitcoin-dev mailing list, ZmnSCPxj presented a quiz to test understanding of Drivechain. The questions covered topics such as miner-theft, withdrawal limits, and security measures. One question asked about the parameters 'b' and 'm' in the Drivechain security model, with 'm' representing how much people want to kill a sidechain, and 'b' representing how much profit a mainchain miner expects from supporting a sidechain. In terms of deterring sidechain theft, Drivechain is designed for a specific range of 'm'. If DC were successful, it could harm altcoin investors and two maximalist groups.ZmnSCPxj, a Drivechain developer, has presented a quiz to identify those who understand Drivechain technology. The quiz contains questions related to the security model and process of Drivechain. It includes information about the number of blocks required for stealing coins from a Drivechain sidechain, how many withdrawals can take place per year, and which types of people should use the withdrawal system. Additionally, it explains how atomic swaps improve user experience and security. The quiz also covers the parameters b and m in the Drivechain security model and how they are used to deter sc-theft. Finally, it discusses the impact of Drivechain on altcoin investors and two maximalist groups that would be slightly harmed by its success.In a message to bitcoin-dev, ZmnSCPxj stated that it is easy for 51% hashrate to double-spend in the Lightning Network (LN). This statement was deemed true. LN and Drivechain are both vulnerable to miner-theft, but they use their design to deter theft. A 51% miner can only attack LN channels in which they participate; however, they can simultaneously attack all Drivechain-based sidechains and steal all of their funds. In LN, the main obstacle for miners is to join the channel, while in DC, they must construct a transaction obeying Bip300 rules. The Bip300 rules aim to thwart miner-theft because SPV proofs allow it. To help people understand Drivechain better, the author presented a quiz with ten questions. They state that changing DC to make miner-theft impossible by making it a layer1 consensus rule that miners never steal would be worse than the disease. The end user should be free to decide what risks they take with their money, and neither LN nor DC is intended for everyone in every circumstance. DC can simulate a Zcash sidechain, but it cannot allow for instant off-chain payments.In a recent post on the bitcoin-dev mailing list, developer Paul Sztorc responded to claims that recursive covenants are a bad thing. Sztorc acknowledged that it is easy for a 51% miner to double-spend in the Lightning Network (LN) by censoring "justice transactions", but he also pointed out that a 51% miner can only attack LN channels that it is a participant in. In contrast, a 51% miner can simultaneously attack all Drivechain-based sidechains and steal all of their funds. Additionally, users of the LN have some protection against 51% miners because there is a probability that they make a channel with a non-51% miner. Sztorc explained that if Alice wants to attack Bob, she may try to convince the 51% miner to help her steal from Bob. However, the 51% miner would prefer receiving payment now from Bob over the promise of payment from Alice later. Moreover, if Alice offers to pay the 51% miner now from some onchain funds she has, she risks losing her channel amount and having to wait out the `OP_CSV` delay to get the same amount later. The honest participant always has the upper hand, even in a 51% miner scenario, due to the `OP_CSV` delay. Sztorc also noted that with Taproot, a mutual LN channel close is indistinguishable from a singlesig spend, so not all LN-related transactions can be censored by the 51% miner. However, in the presence of channel factories, the entire factory is at risk if one participant is the 51% miner or a sockpuppet thereof. Thus, channel factories trade off further scaling for reduced protection against 51% miners.It is evident from the discussion that Drivechain presents unique challenges and considerations regarding security and theft prevention. The quiz provided by ZmnSCPxj serves as a valuable tool for testing understanding of Drivechain technology. Furthermore, the comparison between Drivechain and the Lightning Network highlights the differences in vulnerability to miner-theft and the various protective measures in place. Overall, Drivechain's success could have implications for altcoin investors and certain maximalist groups.
Updated on: 2023-08-01T00:09:29.967488+00:00