isn't bitcoin effectively centralized if 99% of miners and nodes run the same code maintained by the same org? why should we trust the #core devs? why should we have to? (do we have to?)
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Discussion
No
But anyone can choose to run that code and not to mention contribute to it, we don’t have to trust them but verify their work
Core haven't seemed to misbehave yet. This OPCATs stuff may be.
If you can't audit code, if you can't create hardware. You are trusting someone to some extent.
Imo the big thing is I get to decide who I trust.
I'm not forced to use a banking system that's secretive by nature.
Opt in
we don't. we can fork or point the hash rate to other pools at any time. if core gets corrupted (or 3 Chinese pool attempt to 51% Bitcoin to trigger a code change) we'll fork or the miners will point their hardware to uncorrupted pools.
run Bitcoin knots
There is always option to not to run that code or fork it if they misbehave so it can't be used to control bitcoin. Devs can't operate alone, they need other people to cooperate too.
Jonathan Bier - The Blocksize War, The battle for control over Bitcoin’s protocol rules (2021)
I really liked this popular book and I think that it demonstrates well how that power struggle goes in practice and not just in theory. Bitcoin is already battle tested on this.