> Since this is a new 2TB drive it will need to do a new complete download and index of the blockchain.

This is why I decided not to buy a pre-made node. None of the options I looked into allowed for external storage of the block directory.

I'm never ever in my life ever again going through the initial download and synch. I'd rather stop running a node altogether.

Proper mining pool decentralization should mitigate this to some extend, so it's important to work on.

(maybe I shouldn't give such detailed instructions to future CIA readers :-)

That incentive can be compensated with fiat payments. For every "bad" transaction you don't mine, government pays you 3x the fees in fiat. At the current fee levels they could afford doing that for centuries.

You don't need every node operator to cooperate to force a bad change through. But even if you did, you mislead people through propaganda, malicious or coerced developers, etc.

SegWit2x failed at both of these approaches, but they were rather incompetent.

Sure, but more mining capacity doesn't help if the protocol itself is captured. Or if the majority of miners is forced (and money printer subsidized) to reorg non-compliant blocks.

I also suspect that as more enemies of the US adopt Bitcoin, it will not just chill and watch it happen. It seems inevitable, but not necessarily good news.

There will be increased pressure for censorship, whether it be through exchanges, miners or developers (pressure existing ones, or introduce new ones and persuade economic nodes to use them through force or propaganda).

Bitcoin has favorable properties to resist such pressures. E.g. a general reluctance to deploy protocol changes, lots of people and small businesses (hopefully) running their own nodes. The (relatively) simple nature of the protocol also helps to make it easier to call out blatant attacks. E.g. "this new line of code downloads the AFAC list".

It seems it wants me to login? But this event is already signed.

For those who missed it. The City of Santa Monica actually lit up the Ferris wheel on their world famous pier, one of the most popular tourist attractions in California, with the #bitcoin logo earlier this year.

The Treasury just answered my FOIA request for Yellen's response to Congress asking for clarity on the use of Bitcoin for terrorist financing.

According to the document, the Treasury briefed the Congressmen on the matter on February 01, 2024.

But here's the problem: the document I was sent is dated Feb 05, four days *after* the briefing took place – so it can't be the Treasury's direct response.

Thanks to hearings in Congress, we already know that Hamas' use of Bitcoin financing was blown way out of proportion. Now the Treasury is trying to hide its actual response to the Congressmen's inquiry.

I just filed an appeal for incomplete information – send sats if you want to support this work.