And here are the negative aspects:
Some Bitcoiners resist the use of satellite broadcasting for the Bitcoin network due to potential privacy and centralization concerns:
- Sending data to the Blockstream satellites could reveal a user's location and activity, compromising their privacy.[3] Those living under authoritarian regimes may be particularly at risk.
- Relying on a centralized satellite network controlled by a single company (Blockstream) goes against Bitcoin's decentralization principles.[4] It introduces a potential point of failure or censorship.
- There are fears that satellite broadcasting could enable tracking of Bitcoin users and transactions, undermining the intended anonymity of the system.
- Some argue that satellite broadcasting is an unnecessary complexity, and the existing peer-to-peer network is sufficiently robust and decentralized.
- There are concerns about the environmental impact of launching and maintaining satellite constellations for Bitcoin broadcasting.
So while satellite technology could enhance Bitcoin's resilience and global accessibility, critics worry it may compromise user privacy, introduce centralization risks, enable surveillance, and have environmental costs - issues that clash with Bitcoin's core ethos of decentralization and anonymity.