Bitcoin has been the center of many discussions over the past year, with a focus on how it should be used. However, much of this discourse has veered away from the core philosophy of Bitcoin – to be an open access, permissionless system that cannot be stopped from being used. Recently, there has been a growing trend among some Bitcoiners to try and censor others based on how they choose to use their Bitcoin. This goes against the very essence of what Bitcoin was designed to be.
One of the main arguments for this censorship is that certain uses of Bitcoin, such as inscriptions, are hindering the ability of users to bootstrap a new full node. However, this argument is flawed as the bottleneck for initial node syncing is not bandwidth, but rather the verification of data. Inscriptions do not need to be verified, therefore they do not impact the syncing process. Another argument is that inscriptions are driving up fees, but this is a natural consequence of a finite blocksize cap.
Satoshi himself addressed concerns about fees back in 2010, stating that fees only come into play when sending a large transaction and that they do not detract from the system, but rather go to other nodes. The key point here is that if someone can be stopped from using Bitcoin, then the system has failed in its core value proposition of being censorship-resistant.
Instead of focusing on censoring others, Bitcoiners should focus on adapting their own use cases to function properly in the face of differing uses by others. It’s time to stop trying to control how others use their Bitcoin and instead concentrate on maximizing the potential of our own holdings.
In conclusion, the conversation around Bitcoin should shift towards a more mature and productive dialogue, focusing on individual use cases rather than trying to dictate how others should use their Bitcoin. Bitcoin’s strength lies in its decentralization and censorship resistance, and any attempts to limit these aspects only serve to weaken the system as a whole. Let’s embrace the diversity of Bitcoin users and work towards a more inclusive and innovative future for the cryptocurrency.