Satoshi Nakamoto and the Civil-War Within Bitcoin

Recent questions

• What is the history of Bitcoin's block size wars?

  The history of Bitcoin's block size wars dates back to Satoshi Nakamoto's decision to set a one megabyte limit to prevent network congestion. This led to a debate between big blockers and small blockers in the Bitcoin community regarding the optimal block size for transactions. Gavin Anderson and Mike Hearn introduced Bitcoin XT with a two megabyte block size, but it faced opposition and technical challenges, hindering its mass adoption. Subsequently, Segregated Witness (SegWit) was introduced in 2017 to store transaction data more efficiently. The creation of Bitcoin Cash as a result of a hard fork from the main Bitcoin chain with an 8 megabyte block size further intensified the block size wars.

• What role did Blockstream play in Bitcoin's development?

  Blockstream played a significant role in Bitcoin's development by aiming to sell sidechains to enterprises, potentially slowing down Bitcoin's growth. This company's involvement in the Bitcoin ecosystem raised concerns about centralization and control over the network. Despite their intentions to improve scalability and privacy, Blockstream's actions sparked debates within the community about the direction of Bitcoin's future development.

• Who are the suspected candidates for Satoshi Nakamoto?

  Several individuals have been suspected of being Satoshi Nakamoto, the mysterious creator of Bitcoin. Dorian Nakamoto, Hal Finney, Nick Szabo, and Craig Wright are among the most notable candidates, each with unique ties to Bitcoin's history. The search for Satoshi continues as the true identity of the creator remains shrouded in mystery, with various individuals claiming to be the elusive figure behind the world's first cryptocurrency.

• What led to the creation of Bitcoin Cash?

  Bitcoin Cash was created as a result of a hard fork from the main Bitcoin chain, primarily due to disagreements within the community over the block size limit. Advocates for larger block sizes, known as big blockers, believed that increasing the block size would improve transaction speeds and lower fees. This led to the split from the original Bitcoin chain, resulting in the creation of Bitcoin Cash with an 8 megabyte block size to address scalability issues.

• How did the crypto community react to Craig Wright's claim of being Satoshi?

  Craig Wright's claim of being Satoshi Nakamoto, the elusive creator of Bitcoin, was met with skepticism and scrutiny from the crypto community. While some initially believed his claim, inconsistencies in his story and evidence suggesting backdated blog posts raised doubts about his credibility. Despite providing a list of early Bitcoin addresses in a court case, a public message signed by someone else labeled him a liar and a fraud, further undermining his assertion of being Satoshi. The search for Satoshi continues, with individuals like Adam Back emerging as potential candidates based on their background in digital currency research and technical skills aligning with those of Satoshi.