Bitcoin miners: Blockstream wins on block size increase

Note to readers: This article represents the author’s personal views and does not represent the position of this website.

There is a sense of frustration in the Bitcoin community. For years, the issue of block capacity has caused internal feuds within the community, and some have even become notorious. The community has been arguing over this issue, wasting a lot of time and energy. However, the block capacity debate seems to be coming to an end.

Mining is one of HaoBTC’s businesses, and they are very influential in the issue of capacity expansion. Its overseas marketing director Eric Mu said that most miners do not care about the block capacity issue. If there are miners who really care about this issue, it can only mean that they are premeditated, or they can be easily isolated or deceived, or even... an even more shocking fact is that they are intimidated.

Miners in remote areas of China held a scaling workshop in the winter of 2015. There were about 10 people in attendance, but they controlled almost all the computing power of the entire network. Since then, they have transformed themselves into politicians in the field of Bitcoin (they don’t understand the Bitcoin protocol). They began to “fight” for the future of Bitcoin, which eventually led to the community’s division, the stagnation of Bitcoin development, and censorship and bans, including the censorship of social platforms (such as Reddit) and email by Bitcoin Core developers, and the departure of prominent developers in the field of digital currency.

Jihan Wu, the operator of a large mining pool, once publicly stated:

Block capacity is a minor issue for the development of Bitcoin, but it has caused so much damage to the community. Many competing coin developers disguised themselves as Bitcoin software client developers, and the community's obsession with the expansion issue also gave them an opportunity to exploit...

I think everyone... should buy a mini PC like an Intel NUC for their home, with 500G to 1TB of storage and Wifi. All for under $500. This mini PC is powerful enough to run a full node, so stop using those second-hand RasPis you can buy for $10.

Social Failure

The miners failed completely as early as May 2. At that time, Gavin Andresen left due to a breach of trust (most likely someone deliberately smeared him on social platforms), or at least stayed away from the "war", leaving the miners isolated and without the support of the development team.

Likewise, Jeff Garzick (a prominent Bitcoin developer who helped Satoshi Nakamoto write the Bitcoin code in the early days) has gone quiet, and Jonathan Toomim has suddenly decided to quietly leave Bitcoin classic.

Similar to Scientology

Bitcoin Classic miner Marshal Long publicly stated last month:

I posted this to tell you that many initiators of excellent projects left the Bitcoin community because of those people (referring to some grassroots members who have no real skills but are clamoring for forks every day). When facing them, the first thing is to express your disgust, and then choose to leave... Bitcoin has developed to this day, I think it's time for us to unite.

He may be alluding to Paul Capestany (nickname Eragmus) using tricks similar to Scientology (a cult in the United States that makes money by seizing the psychological problems of its followers) to harm the world. Capestany is the organizer of the Silicon Valley Bitcoin Conference. Since April, he has stated on LinkedIn that he works for a "famous startup company". I think we should all guess which company it is, but he dare not say it clearly. He even issued threatening remarks:

Ultimatum to Jonathan, Gavin, and Jeff…: If any of you do not publicly abandon your support for Bitcoin Classic and its unjustified hard fork within 24 hours, you will face a full-blown, fact-based, political smear campaign.

These methods are very similar to those of Scientology: using the power of public opinion to vilify and humiliate someone so that they have to remain silent; distorting the facts, breaking the rules, and considering themselves as messengers of justice.

Simply put, it is to force others to remain silent by various legal means.

Bitcoin Cult

When buttcoin said Bitcoin was a cult, I thought it was just a metaphor. However, when I think about the careful management of r/bitcoin, censoring opponents with a cult-like management model, and when I think about even miners openly saying that they are intimidated, I think it is no longer a metaphor.

Some people may think that Blockstream has won, and they will do more in the future just to become more popular and easy-going, and even actively engage with the community, but dinosaurs are dinosaurs and they will never learn.

There is no intention of reconciliation

They won, although they paid a huge price for it. I tried to interview any of them so we could understand what was going on, but most of them didn't respond at all, which shows that they don't care about Bitcoin users at all.

James Hilliard, who goes by the handle Lightsword and has little Google data on him, has been active on social media over the past few months, speaking out on behalf of Blockstream. He responded to me, refusing to answer even the most basic questions.

Social engineering everywhere

I started paying attention to the block expansion issue more than 5 months ago and wrote an article about it. But from the current situation, the problem seems to have been solved, and I tried to contact people who knew about it.

I received almost no response except Hillard’s reply declining to be interviewed, which shows their disdain for Bitcoin users. However, to my surprise, Gregory Maxwell, the founder of Blockstream and the boss of most Bitcoin developers, did respond to me. Although it was only a few words.

Aquentson (author): Hi, I want to say that although we may disagree, it is very uncomfortable to see you being maliciously attacked or you attacking others. I think this way can't solve any problems at all. So, if you are willing, I would like to interview you and understand your position, and we will publish it in a neutral way. You can express your own opinions and clarify yourself, of course, on a voluntary basis.

(About two hours later)

aquentson：I guess you don't want to...thanks anyway.

gmaxwell: You have been banned from this Bitcoin channel. Your continued hacking is a violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA). If you continue to do this, I will sue you.

aquentson: Haha, I'm really interested in your stance.

gmaxwell: Stop contacting me, including my family, my company, and any company members.

I'm sure Maxwell is under a lot of pressure, probably because he (or his employees on his behalf) have been constantly interfering with the free speech of those who oppose him. I think his use of different accounts to make strange accusations and insinuations in order to control the Reddit platform is illegal, because these platforms do not belong to him in the first place.

It's ridiculous to impose your own views on others. He actually used social engineering to issue all kinds of stupid legal threats.

But it’s probably good to know that there are no olive branches or doves. No matter how much people want to forgive him, Gregory Maxwell and his ilk are not in the mood, they seem to prefer social engineering, they have taken the only chance from us, only to escape and leave (ETH’s development speed and magnitude should belong to Bitcoin).

So, even though they won, I would rather ignore this guy with no background, no LinkedIn account, no transparency, and no accomplishments. Those who supported him abandoned common sense and basic decency.