Author: ZmnSCPxj 2019-11-24 15:16:35
Published on: 2019-11-24T15:16:35+00:00
In a conversation on Github, ZmnSCPxj replied to Bastien Tauran regarding the use of proof-of-work (PoW) in Lightning. While it is possible to integrate small PoW into Lightning, it is not practical to integrate fair, un-gameable upfront payments. ZmnSCPxj also pointed out that not all PoW is born equal and that creating ASICs for spam PoW would be fundamentally different from creating ASICs for mining cryptocurrency. He argued that since this PoW isn't used in any consensus, we can change the spam PoW algorithm anytime we want, making all previous ASICs obsolete. The discussion then moved towards the issue of specialization, wherein specialized PoW-providers will be paid in order to provide PoW that will be presented to intermediate nodes, which will create additional friction. ZmnSCPxj suggested using upfront payments instead of PoW, as requiring a fee is equivalent to requiring proof-of-work, incentive-wise.
Updated on: 2023-06-02T21:08:12.505984+00:00