• locuester@lemmy.zip
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    1 day ago

    It’s the same with all the chains. An algorithm change is a breaking change. If you don’t implement it, your validating node will not continue with the rest.

    Bitcoin has the BIP (Bitcoin Improvement Proposal) process. BIP-52 is an example of a proposal to change the algorithm due to energy concerns.

    If the humans reach consensus it will change. However, I maintain that software can’t be programmed to adjust for social concerns - the humans have to change it.

    • Hirom@beehaw.orgOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      1 day ago

      Good point, with BIPs the Bitcoin community is more adaptive than I gave it credit for.

      It still doesn’t prevent soft nor hard fork. My understanding is that a change in Bitcoin’s consensus logic require ALL users/miners to take action to deploy the new software to avoid hard forks. That’s impossible in practice. So a BIP to change the consensus logic, either tweaking or replacing PoW, would necessary cause a hard fork even if it’s approved.

      Not all chains handle this the same way nor suffer from this. For instance, using Tezos means automatically accepting algorithm changes after they are approved. This makes hard forks much less likely.

      Tezos incorporates a built-in, on-chain mechanism for proposing, selecting, testing, and activating protocol upgrades without the need to hard fork. This mechanism makes Tezos a self-amending blockchain and allows any user to propose changes to the economic protocol, which defines the possible blockchain operations and how they are processed.

      Bitcoin sure have more hype and higher price, but appears to have more difficulty evolving compared to others.

      • locuester@lemmy.zip
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        9 hours ago

        Tezos would still require all nodes to upgrade to the code which contains the new algorithm. It can’t just automatically know what the new code is. It then can schedule these to activate at a certain block using a signaling system of some sort. If some nodes didn’t upgrade, this would cause a hard fork if the version they are running doesn’t have the new version required to run the new algorithm

        Its behavior and process as outlined in the link you sent is no different from other chains.

        Bitcoin uses version bits to perform these types of upgrades (see bip 9 implemented in 2016)

        Ethereum uses something similar. Solana’s activation mechanism is called “feature gate activation”.

        • Hirom@beehaw.orgOP
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          7 hours ago

          Tezos would still require all nodes to upgrade to the code which contains the new algorithm. It can’t just automatically know what the new code is. It then can schedule these to activate at a certain block using a signaling system of some sort.

          Code proposal, vote on new code activation of new code, are all Tezos on-chain operation. These operations include a hash of the new code to be deployed. There’s some off-chain work happening to update tools, which I guess include compiling said code. So you’re right, some off-cain action is needed for deployment https://www.tezosagora.org/learn#an-introduction-to-tezos-governance

          My understanding is that compared to BTC governance, a larger part of the process happen on-chain. Also there is a relatively smaller portion of nodes (baker) involved in creating/verifying blocks that must update. This allowed various protocol changes without forks over the years.

          • locuester@lemmy.zip
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            4 hours ago

            It’s no different. A new version of the consensus code needs written and deployed.

            That page you linked is the same on all chains. All have a proposal, discussion, implementation, waiting period (for code to be deployed), and activation. That’s just blockchain 101

            • Hirom@beehaw.orgOP
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              edit-2
              2 hours ago

              same on all chains. All have a proposal, discussion, implementation, waiting period (for code to be deployed), and activation

              I though most of those steps didn’t occur on-chain in the case of bitcoin. But I could be mistaken.

              Woule you mind sharing a link with the equivalent information on bitcoin, ie its governance process and how each governance operation (proposal, vote, activation ) is handled by the chain?

              I’m looking at BIP 9 and its stated goal is to support soft forks

              allowing multiple backward-compatible changes (further called “soft forks”) to be deployed in parallel.

              This imply BIP-9 doens’t help with non-backward-compatible changes, ie doesn’t help prevent hard forks.