Genuinely curious: if running a node is so important, why didn't Satoshi set it up so that both miners and node-runners were compensated for their work?
Discussion
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Probably more difficult to compensate node runners since the task is so much easier (relatively). Might be a way to game it
Good point. It would increase the vulnerability of the network. People would for sure try to exploit that if the cost is so low.
exactly. Complexity increases the attack surface. Might be a way to do it right, but hell if i know
Yes. Also, it doesn’t seem necessary to reward node runners. The reward is to have the ability to preserve a network that holds our wealth…not to mention privacy.
In the early days all node runners were miners and were compensated for their work.
Running a node without mining is mostly important for yourself, so that you can verify any transaction and increase privacy when sending. Why should other people compensate you for that?
1. Nodes can be sybil attacked, there is no cost so there cannot be an objective way to reward them nor any true measure as to whether they are doing any good for the network.
2. Running a node is more a defensive measure than an outward service. Kind of like holding your own keys. Nobody should be rewarded for that, its just dumb not to do it. However if everyone holds their own keys the network is stronger for it, similar with nodes.
3. Nodes and miners weren't separate ideas in Satoshi's time. There was simply the Bitcoin software. If you installed it, you were a full node and a miner. It wasn't for a couple of years before mining was so pointless on non-specialized hardware that node running became a separate idea from mining.
In other words, noderunning is its own reward. UBI cannot work on it.
Node running is a modern evolution and a point of criticism with the BSV brigade.
There was no difference between and a node and a wallet originally.