There is a civil war for Bitcoin
War of Bitcoin started after two influential core Bitcoin programmer announced plans to split the code that runs the network. Their new network called Bitcoin XT, and it wants to replace the Bitcoin - but why they did it?
One of the biggest problems Bitcoin - is growth problem. The size of each block in the chain currently is limited to 1 MB, which allows it to handle up to seven (7) transactions per second. For comparison, VISA system handles an average about 2,000 transactions per second. Now the limit is reached, the average block size is around 400 KB.
Is it necessary to increase the size of the unit and, if so, how soon? Bitcoin core team and the entire community can not unanimous answer to this question. The increase in unit will also increase the cost of storing and moving data, the increase in the number of transactions will increase the traffic, which can squeeze the market of small miners. There are ingenious projects superstructures protocol Bitcoin, to an empty part of the transaction, bypassing the main network, but they are still in the design stage or have some security vulnerabilities.
The dangerous approach to the limit? The server, which will attempt to process the blocks close to 1 MB in size, and will slow down soon fall without notifying the administrator. So will slow and drop the whole network until it stops completely. The problem threatens the complete destruction of Bitcoin. The value of 1 MB is sewn into the core network. To change it, you must run a complete upgrade of all servers, which can last for a very, very long time.
If the rate of network growth continues, the block size does not need to increase through 2020. But cryptocurrency not grow calm predictable, they are pushing news. The network will not be ready, if after a year of any city will announce the main currency Bitcoin.
Mike Hearn and Gavin Andresen - it is two of the most experienced kernel developers. Mike - a former chairman of the committee on the law and policy of the Fund Bitcoin, Andresen - is the principal investigator of the Fund. Both have write access to the core network, and they believe that the need to increase the size of the unit, and do it now. Unable to agree on an amicable way, they launched a process of hard fork. The new network is called Bitcoin XT.
Hearn explained the signature sheet developers Bitcoin, it believes that the fork was the only opportunity to resolve the impasse in the community: "I'm sorry that came to this, but no other way. The project core Bitcoin so left from the principles that I and many others consider to be important that the fork - this is the only way to fix it. "Unable to reach an agreement with a small handful of core developers, they carried the dispute to a vote of the entire community.
Bitcoin XT disclaims hard limit. Instead, the block size will gradually increase with the size of the database transaction (blokcheyna). The initial size is 8MB. Mike believes that the current system reaches the limit for the next, or at least 2017 years. In addition, Bitcoin XT includes several other patches, the introduction of which could not approve in Bitcoin: safe detection of peers at the first start of the server (DNS bootstrapping), DDoS protection and detection system scams.
One of the opponents was the fork itself Satoshi Nakamoto (or the person who for several years seems to them).
The developers of Bitcoin pretending claim to follow my original vision, but they are very far from the truth. When I designed the Bitcoin, I planned it so as to make any modifications in the future almost impossible without the full consent. Bitcoin was designed to be protected from the influence of charismatic leaders, even if their names Gavin Andresen, Barack Obama or Satoshi Nakamoto. Almost all must agree to the change, and they have to do is not forced and not under pressure. Creating a fork so the developers violate the "original vision", which they pay lip service to. Blockquote>
Hearn said that the letter was not signed cryptographically, and thus could be from anyone, but, nevertheless, it raises an important question:
The interesting thing - what if Satoshi really would return and stated his opinion? Let's imagine that he appeared and said that he changed his mind, and Bitcoin was a bad idea. We should all just give up and go? Or take the fact that the idea of people really change. My article is largely quoted Satoshi, but it does not mean that it is - to some god or no dictator. Blockquote>
Good news: non-maynyaschie Bitcoin users should not notice the dispute. May vote only "miners", administrators generation network servers. In the worst case, both branches will fight for a long time, taking each other programmers and supporters.
Bitcoin XT plans to increase the size of the block until January 2016 - if 75% of the new units will be generated with a version of XT. After the network will take a hard fork, kernel version will be incompatible and blokcheyny forever separated. Miner won the branches have nothing to lose; Those who choose to lose, it will be forced to quit.
You can monitor the statistics on the website XTNodes .
Source: geektimes.ru/post/260498/
