Return-Path: Received: from smtp1.linuxfoundation.org (smtp1.linux-foundation.org [172.17.192.35]) by mail.linuxfoundation.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id E0612ACB for ; Fri, 26 Jun 2015 21:19:25 +0000 (UTC) X-Greylist: delayed 00:35:14 by SQLgrey-1.7.6 Received: from peacecow.phauna.org (phauna.org [208.82.98.102]) by smtp1.linuxfoundation.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 72D7FF2 for ; Fri, 26 Jun 2015 21:19:25 +0000 (UTC) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; q=dns/txt; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=phauna.org; s=apricot; h=Content-Transfer-Encoding:Content-Type:In-Reply-To:References:Subject:To:MIME-Version:From:Date:Message-ID; bh=XlJpTgiSqF9OuoqIEGyNwHpxR8Yd53QkbjO2/GV7Qgg=; b=iHPgpB9rvNLtF6+VJG79iNT1iEu7yvdzWBTriU0lojV5zhH6xiYREPn+GW/0JWk/zON69dCvXMcc8n3resUEWkc7gF8yWRBP9tikDQhZBU5l5rFv6ALHcK44nJkjctmElyhH0kqNKrLl9fXxLm37geFigKJA3kK/X1c3IsSDsFg=; Received: from [66.55.141.76] (helo=[10.180.1.6]) by peacecow.phauna.org with esmtpsa (TLS1.0:DHE_RSA_AES_128_CBC_SHA1:16) (Exim 4.76) (envelope-from ) id 1Z8aTo-0005ms-AO for bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org; Fri, 26 Jun 2015 15:44:09 -0500 Message-ID: <558DB997.4030209@phauna.org> Date: Fri, 26 Jun 2015 16:44:07 -0400 From: Owen Gunden User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:31.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/31.7.0 MIME-Version: 1.0 To: bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org References: In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Spam_score: -2.9 X-Spam_score_int: -28 X-Spam_bar: -- X-Spam_report: Spam detection software, running on the system "peacecow.phauna.org", has identified this incoming email as possible spam. The original message has been attached to this so you can view it (if it isn't spam) or label similar future email. If you have any questions, see the administrator of that system for details. Content preview: On 06/26/2015 02:23 PM, Jeff Garzik wrote: > Failure to plan now for a hard fork increase 6(?) months in the future > produces that lumpy, unpredictable market behavior. > > The market has baked in the years-long behavior of low fees. From the > market PoV, inaction does lead to precisely that, a sudden change over > the span of a few months. [...] Content analysis details: (-2.9 points, 5.0 required) pts rule name description ---- ---------------------- -------------------------------------------------- -1.0 ALL_TRUSTED Passed through trusted hosts only via SMTP -1.9 BAYES_00 BODY: Bayes spam probability is 0 to 1% [score: 0.0000] X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.4 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,DKIM_SIGNED, DKIM_VALID,DKIM_VALID_AU,RP_MATCHES_RCVD autolearn=ham version=3.3.1 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.3.1 (2010-03-16) on smtp1.linux-foundation.org Subject: Re: [bitcoin-dev] The need for larger blocks X-BeenThere: bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.12 Precedence: list List-Id: Bitcoin Development Discussion List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 26 Jun 2015 21:19:26 -0000 On 06/26/2015 02:23 PM, Jeff Garzik wrote: > Failure to plan now for a hard fork increase 6(?) months in the future > produces that lumpy, unpredictable market behavior. > > The market has baked in the years-long behavior of low fees. From the > market PoV, inaction does lead to precisely that, a sudden change over > the span of a few months. Which market participants are you referring to? I entered the bitcoin market with open eyes, aware that it faces hard scalability challenges by design. I was also aware that because of these challenges, eventually transaction fees would have to rise. Nevertheless, I made the decision to invest because of the utility I gain from the anti-censorship, privacy, control, store of value, and security aspects of bitcoin -- many of which stem from decentralization, which others have demonstrated to be linked to the block size. On the other hand, there are undoubtedly other market participants who heard hype about "zero fee transactions to anywhere in the world", believed it would scale, and made (mal)investments as a result. As for how many market participants of each flavor, and how deep their respective pockets, who knows? My experience in markets has lead me to realize that it's never wise to assume I know what "the market" does and doesn't know. If Jeff Garzik is right about what the market has priced in, then yes, filled blocks will be rocking the boat. But who's to say that the smartest, biggest investors and traders don't already see this scaling problem, and have already priced it in? In this case, a sudden large increase in the block size is actually rocking the boat. The point is, you can't know either way, so trying to pre-empt the market in this way is erroneous. Regarding entrepreneurial investment specifically, why should we favor the entrepreneurs who require a more centralized bitcoin over those who were more considerate of the possibility of rising transaction fees when making their business models? In my mind, we should favor neither, which is why I'm basically in agreement with Pieter that this sense of "emergency" shouldn't really be a part of the debate. Not that I'm taking a stand on the specific block size issue either way. I just think this particular line of reasoning (presupposing what information the market has and has not already baked in) is unsound.