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Genetic Purity Fallacy

Eric Voskuil edited this page Dec 10, 2017 · 20 revisions

There is a theory that a coin is strongest when validation is performed by a common implementation. According to this theory the complexity of consensus rule implementation implies a likelihood that multiple implementations will diverge, resulting an inadvertent chain split. The split implies financial loss by people on the weaker side of the split.

Based on the assumption of high complexity, each update to the "one true client" produces the same likelihood of divergence. Similarly, dependency on external independently updated libraries has the same effect. In the case of the initial Bitcoin implementation both upgrade of the client and upgrade of an external dependency have resulted in unintended chain splits and material financial loss.

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