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Combined summary - Deterministic tx selection for censorship resistance

Combined summary - Deterministic tx selection for censorship resistance

The email discussion delves into the complexities surrounding the enforcement of centralized transaction selection mechanisms within decentralized mining pools, highlighting concerns over increasing centralization and its contradiction to the principles of blockchain technology.

It particularly focuses on a scenario where a dominant entity could control a significant portion of transaction selections, leaving only a marginal space for independently chosen transactions. This marginal space, however, underscores the importance of transaction fees as a means to counter censorship, suggesting that higher fees could incentivize the inclusion of transactions otherwise at risk of being sidelined. The critique extends to systems requiring miners in a pool to prioritize transactions selected by others, which could exacerbate centralization and lead to a monopolistic control over transaction inclusion, potentially enabling censorship and reducing transaction diversity.

Further discussions in the email address the concept of pool hopping and its limitations in protecting against state-level threats to decentralization, with a particular focus on the inefficiencies it presents in the broader context of blockchain technology's resilience. The introduction of "braids" at scaling HK represents a notable shift towards a new method of addressing these challenges, signaling a move towards investing in solutions that encourage the independent and competitive operation of small-scale miners. This development is seen as a promising step towards countering the issues raised by pool hopping and enhancing the ecosystem's resistance to centralization.

The conversation also touches upon the broader implications of transaction selection processes on Bitcoin's future, emphasizing the dangers of centralization through block template providers under legal and political pressures. It critiques the reliance on pool hopping for decentralization, pointing out the potential for reduced variance and the challenges in achieving censorship resistance. A proposed solution involves adopting a deterministic algorithm for transaction selection, necessitating consensus on mempool contents through decentralized mining pools like P2Pool or Braidpool. These pools would utilize metadata blocks for transactions, aiming for a large, consistent block without size limits. However, this approach shifts the censorship issue to the share chain level, where transactions must first be mined before inclusion in the main chain, introducing a new layer for potential censorship through transaction prioritization methods.

Overall, the email encapsulates the critical need for reevaluating Bitcoin's transaction selection process to enhance decentralization and resist censorship. It proposes a shift towards deterministic and consensus-based approaches, requiring technical adjustments and a rethinking of transaction pooling and validation to uphold Bitcoin's foundational principles amidst operational and governance challenges.

Discussion History

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mcelrath Original Post
April 29, 2024 12:26 UTC
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April 29, 2024 13:45 UTC
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May 6, 2024 10:00 UTC