Is Increasing the Bitcoin Block Size Really the Solution?

Is Increasing the Bitcoin Block Size Really the Solution?

The debate to increase the bitcoin block size from its current 1MB has been going on for quite some time now. Those who are calling for a larger limit say that the current size of the network can no longer handle the transactions efficiently with such a small block size. Some say that it should be increased to 20MB while others think that 8MB would suffice. According to lead bitcoin developer Gavin Andresen, the best solution to the limited transactions of the bitcoin network is to increase the maximum block size. He even pointed out that if solution isn't implemented right away, the....


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BitPay Block Size Solution Introduces Dynamic Scalability

Chinese miners would not need to worry about explosive block size growth either, as the maximum rate of growth is capped at twice the previous size. There will be no jumps from 1MB blocks to 2MB blocks and then suddenly increasing to 8 MB. This should give the local Internet infrastructure enough time to ramp up the overall network speed and [try to] get rid of data caps. For those people looking to see the Bitcoin block size debate coming to an end, that will not be happening anytime soon, unfortunately. Things have gotten more interesting a few weeks ago when rumours....

Bitcoin Core Developers Work On A New 2 MB Hardfork Proposal

Many people are keeping a close eye on the block size debate for very different reasons. Solving the Bitcoin block size problem has been a top priority for developers over the past few months. Multiple solutions have been proposed, although only two of them are in actual “contention” right now. Bitcoin Core developers have begun development of a third solution that would shift the block size to 2MB. It is always good to have options on the table. Even though Segregated Witness has not been denied by the mining community yet, it is due time to consider alternatives. Bitcoin Core developers....

Jeff Garzik Defends Hard Fork Solution for Bitcoin Block Size Issue

Jeff Garzik, a bitcoin code veteran who recently launched the Bloq code-for-hire service to develop blockchain features, continues to defend a hard fork solution to the bitcoin scaling challenge. Garzik has engaged with individuals who disagree with him on Twitter in the last few days. Everyone agrees the block size needs to expand if the bitcoin network is going to process a larger volume of transactions. But the solution has proven evasive. Garzik has voiced his dismay at the number of people who have proposed using technically inferior systems to increase the block size. Bitcoin Block....

32MB Blocks: The Newest (Old) Solution to Bitcoin Scalability

There has been an ongoing Bitcoin block size debate, and most recently a radical, old idea resurfaced: instead of increasing the block size from 1MB to 2,4 or 8MB, the protocol should be changed to accommodate 32MB blocks. This probably pissed off Bram Cohen. Are 32MB Blocks Too Big? Here’s why that’s not a radical idea: it’s how Satoshi Nakamoto, creator of Bitcoin, for a time had designed Bitcoin before settling on a 1MB transaction size — a decision which, perhaps, led to Bitcoin being christened “digital gold.” Calls for large block sizes are not so uncommon: Gavin Andresen himself....

No Blocksize Increase Needed for Years, Argues Bitcoin Core Dev

A Reddit discussion on increasing the bitcoin block size clarified why many are opposed to the bitcoin hard fork. A poster asked Bitcoin Core developers to explain their vision on increasing the block size. The poster claimed to be “very strongly anti-Bitcoin Unlimited (BU) but mildly in favor of bigger bitcoin blocks. BU has been proposed as a solution to scaling the bitcoin network that will hard fork the bitcoin blockchain. “Please, educate me on your view as to if the max block size should ever change, if not why not, if yes how,” the poster asked. Block Size Change Needed. In....