Is the real problem in Bitcoin deeper than spam? The discussion reveals how centralization in mining pools limits true decentralization. Misconceptions around spam filters divert attention from the urgent need for miner empowerment. Concepts like Stratum V1 are critiqued for worsening centralization, while innovative protocols like Datum offer hope for restoring autonomy. This thought-provoking conversation urges a reevaluation of priorities, advocating for greater decentralization in the Bitcoin ecosystem.
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insights INSIGHT
Bitcoin's Mining Model Flawed
Bitcoin's mining model never worked as Satoshi predicted due to the rise of mining pools early on.
Mining decentralization is at the core of issues often mistaken as just spam filter debates.
insights INSIGHT
Small Miners Key to Censorship Resistance
Original Bitcoin design expected many anonymous small miners to keep the network censorship-resistant.
Mining pools and centralized control undermine this foundational security assumption.
insights INSIGHT
Stratum V1 Killed Miner Role
Stratum V1 protocol centralized block construction to pool operators, reducing miners to mere hashers.
This shift eliminated true decentralization of mining control and trusted pool operators with block decisions.
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What if the real issue is actually much deeper than how to deal with spam?
Everyone is arguing about mempool settings, who gets to decide the policy, what spam is, can it be filtered, and what the consequences of doing so are on the network. But this all stems from a much more serious and too often ignored issue, something that still seemingly VERY few people are doing anything concrete about: that Bitcoin has no miners, it has hashers and barely a handful of centalized pools that control what goes into blocks...
How does this relate to the spam issue, and can anything be done about it? This is a crucial episode for anyone who wants to understand the OP_RETURN wars.
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