May 2022 topic list

[GambolingPangolin]

ECDSA implementation bug in many Java versions

https://neilmadden.blog/2022/04/19/psychic-signatures-in-java/

[Christewart]

Is the bitcoin network slowing down?

https://blog.lopp.net/is-bitcoin-network-slowing-down/

[MatulefM]

Simple step one for quantum

• Credit: Erik Aronesty
• Bitcoin Optech Newsletter #196
• “Few security researchers believe fast QCs are a near-term threat, but any method that can eliminate them as a concern without significantly disturbing existing uses of Bitcoin may warrant consideration.”

Understanding RGB protocol

• Credit: Federico Tenga
• “Given the similarities of the two designs, it would be nice if Taro and RGB ended up being interoperable, but only time will tell if the right incentives for this to happen will ever materialise.”

Current Trends in Ransomware

• Credit: Sara Mandel | Ciphertrace
• • BTC is still the most requested payment method for ransom demands
• • Double extortion ransomware increased nearly 500% in 2021

U.S. Treasury Designates Facilitators of Russian Sanctions Evasion

• “Virtual currency mining company Bitriver was founded in Russia in 2017 and currently operates out of three offices across Russia.”
• Compass Mining | Whit Gibbs response - “Due to recent sanctions by the US, Compass Mining is required to immediately cease all dealings with BitRiver, our Russian hosting partner. Machines will be turned off today and they will not be turned back on. At this time, it is not possible to export any of the machines from Russia.”

[bitdern]

Would anyone be interested in discussing the pros/cons of BIP-119?

https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0119.mediawiki

Apologies if this has already been discussed

[GambolingPangolin]

I wouldn't mind revisiting BIP119. There is a recent mailing list post that we could touch on: https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/pipermail/bitcoin-dev/2022-April/020242.html

[GambolingPangolin]

Bitcoin core 23 released with cjdns support

[MatulefM]

BIP 119 (OP-CTV) & Bitcoin Protocols for Changes

Resource page: https://www.bip119.com/ by BTC Gandalf

Discussion questions for consideration:

OP-CTV questions:

• What distinguishes OP-CTV functionally from the more generalized conception of covenants?
• Does OP-CTV permit this idea of “recursive covenants” (conditions that would need to be fulfilled in every transaction re-spending those bitcoins or any bitcoins merged with it for perpetuity.) which could effectively whitelist UTXOs and be a threat to Bitcoin’s censorship resistance?
• Is OP-CTV’s purposed activation method the correct way and have enough resources been spent vetting the proposal within the community?

Protocol Changes Questions:

• What is the protocol for changing Bitcoin? Historically, how has this happened with upgrades like SegWit and Taproot?
• What is Speedy Trial?
• What are UASF and URSF?
• Is a clear and defined process a potential attack vector?
• Should each new proposal achieve “consensus” uniquely, even if disjointed and resource consuming?
• As Bitcoin continues to scale with layers, what do you think about the concept of base layer ossification?
• How will Bitcoin governance dynamics change over time as the network grows?

[GambolingPangolin]

New wallet with interesting feature set. https://github.com/mycitadel/mycitadel-desktop

[MatulefM]

The Central African Republic (CAR) Adoptes Bitcoin as Legal Tender

• Credit: Bitcoin Magazine
• ““There’s a common narrative that sub-Saharan African countries are often one step behind when it comes to adapting to new technology. This time, we can actually say that our country is one step ahead.” - Finance Minister Herve Ndoba

New Software Release: Braiins Farm Proxy

• Credit: Braiins
• “the Braiins Farm Proxy is a single app that allows miners to configure parallel usage of multiple pools, reduce data loads, designate backup pools, control aggregated operational management dashboards, and more. For miners using the Braiins mining pool, Slush Pool, as their destination pool, the Farm Proxy also offers encrypted messaging that prevents hashrate hijacking and secures all data communication between the pool and miner.”

Magma: A New Channel Marketplace on Lightning

• Credit: Amboss
• “Magma is a peer-to-peer marketplace for liquidity on the lightning network under Amboss’s supervision.”

Introducing Blocktank LSP

• Credit: Synonym
• “Blocktank LSP is a set of software tools that businesses, apps, web platforms or Bitcoiners can use to monetize Lightning Network connections and automatically manage channel liquidity”

Panama Assembly Passes Bill Regulating Bitcoin, Crypto

• Credit: Bitcoin Magazine
• “Over 50% of Panama’s population doesn’t have a bank account. This helps people participate in the digital economy and receive payments from tourists that come to Panama. It helps in the financial inclusion of Panamanians.” - Congressman Gabriel Silva

Introducing Multiplexer: incoming payment fail-over for Lightning

• Credit: Joost Jager / Bottlepay
• “With nodes being operated in an increasingly professional way, priorities shift. We’ve moved past the initial goal of just being able to complete a payment and raised our expectations in certain areas. One such area is reliability. If Lightning is to serve the world, it needs to become more reliable than it currently is.”

Bitcoin Mining Council Submits Letter to US Environmental Protection Agency

• Response to a letter sent to the EPA by members of Congress
• "It is imperative that elected officials in the United States recognize that bitcoin, and the innovation of Proof of Work, is the most important financial, economic, and accounting innovation in the history of humanity."

Congestion Control Arrives in Tor 0.4.7-stable!

• Credit: Mike Perry / Tor
• “Congestion control will eliminate the speed limit of current Tor, as well as reduce latency by minimizing queue lengths at relays. It will result in significant performance improvements in Tor, as well as increased utilization of our network capacity.”

Bitcoin Is Halfway To The Next Halving

• Credit: Bitcoin Magazine
• “The phenomenon happened exactly on block number 735,000 on the Bitcoin blockchain, which was mined at around 6:30 a.m. ET on May 5, 2022”
• “We are now halfway through Bitcoin's 4th mining epoch and less than 2 years away from the annual inflation rate dropping below 1%.” - Jameson Lopp

New Lightning Only VPN Service LNVPN

[Christewart]

Protocol Changes Questions:

* What is the protocol for changing Bitcoin? Historically, how has this happened with upgrades like SegWit and Taproot?

* What is Speedy Trial?

* What are UASF and URSF?

* Is a clear and defined process a potential attack vector?

* Should each new proposal achieve “consensus” uniquely, even if disjointed and resource consuming?

* As Bitcoin continues to scale with layers, what do you think about the concept of base layer ossification?

* How will Bitcoin governance dynamics change over time as the network grows?

I think it would be useful to cover the history of soft forks in bitcoin (specifically how the activation mechamisms have evovled). BitMEX research has a great blog post here about all of them up to segwit: https://blog.bitmex.com/bitcoins-consensus-forks/

[GambolingPangolin]

https://lists.linuxfoundation.org/pipermail/bitcoin-dev/2022-May/020450.html