... also, that the consequence of a de facto monopoly is lack of accountability.
Discussion
It's the Bitcoin community's fault that it was a de facto monopoly. We didn't develop different node software. Now it's a problem, and our only alternative is a cheap knockoff. We need more options.
Bitcoin core shouldn't be an implementation itself. It should be a library, containing consensus code, no more. No node should be "the standard."
Yeah. Ideally the consensus code would be in its own project analogous to the Linux kernel. Then, potentially many 'distros' - which include their own relay policy options - would be able to be built on top of it.
The entity currently known as 'Core' need not necessarily be involved in making that happen... other than as a source of reference for what is currently in the consensus code.
Agreed. This is actually one area that ETH has done a better job of than bitcoin. They promote client diversity and have at least 5 different consensus clients.
Is that one for each node in their network? 😉
I'm not promoting eth, just saying they've done a better job with client diversity. I don't think bitcoiners should completely dismiss everything shitcoins are doing. Yes, they are shitcoins, but there's nothing wrong with understanding how other systems and networks work. Five clients with balanced distribution are better than one, especially when that one starts behaving badly. We haven't promoted node diversity like we should have.