Blocksize, Bitcoin Unlimited, ASICBoost and Activating SegWit

Blocksize, Bitcoin Unlimited, ASICBoost and Activating SegWit

  • Thomas Voegtlin

Years into the great Bitcoin scaling debate no solution is in reach. Neither bigger blocks nor Segregated Witness have anywhere near consensus support. With the conflict escalating, a Bitcoin fork has become a real possibility.

Electrum Developer Thomas Voegtlin joined us to discuss the state of the Bitcoin scaling debate. We discussed Bitcoin Unlimited, ASICBoost, SegWit activation without miner support and how a Bitcoin fork could play out. Possible outcomes include that Bitcoin Unlimited gains a majority of hashing power and starts mining bigger blocks. In the event of a fork, a proof-of-work change could be done to defend the minority chain from miner attacks. And lately a proposal was brought forward to activate SegWit without the support of the hashing power.

Topics:

  • ASICBoost and its potential role in the conflict
  • How a Bitcoin fork could happen
  • How to split coins in case of a fork
  • How UASF could be used to activate SegWit without miner support
  • Requirements for UASF to be safe
  • How Electrum would handle a fork

Links:

Hosts:Sebastien Couture, Brian Crain