In a recent conversation with x.com/Snyke”>Christian Decker From Blockstream, bitcoin Magazine's Shinobi delved into the intricate politics of bitcoin development. Decker, a lead Lightning developer, provided a candid look at today's competitive atmosphere where developers often find themselves entangled in political maneuvering rather than engineering matters.
Decker didn't mince words when describing the challenges developers face. “We've been trying for too long to be smart about trying to sidestep the discussion about whether we want compacts, what kind of compacts we want, or introspection, as we like to call it,” he said. Community cleverness has led to fragmented efforts, with narrowly focused proposals struggling to gain traction amid limited review cycles and intense competition.
Towards a new approach
A major problem, Decker explained, is the combative environment where developers often have to “badmouth other proposals in order for their proposal to get the attention necessary for their proposal to be approved.” This creates unnecessary tension and frustration. Rusty Russell's recent offering, however, offers a refreshing change. It aims to restore bitcoin's original scripting functionality, providing a more unified and collaborative approach.
Decker emphasized the importance of involving the broader bitcoin community in these discussions. “If seriously discussed, I think it can be an incredibly healthy thing for the participation of a broader and broader ecosystem,” he said. Moving toward a cooperative direction in which all stakeholders openly discuss the potential benefits and drawbacks of proposed changes can foster a healthier ecosystem. This makes it harder for people to dismiss ideas based on superficial associations and encourages more honest and transparent dialogue.
The proposal to bring back bitcoin's original script functionality aims to “give everyone the tools to build whatever they want” without being restrictive. Decker believes this approach will lead to more significant and efficient optimizations over time. “It may be inefficient the way you can do arbitrary things, but at least you can show your work and prove that it works,” he explained. Once these solutions are demonstrated, the community will naturally come together to optimize and improve performance.
Both Shinobi and Decker agreed on the need to rely on subject matter experts in these technical discussions. However, they also emphasized the importance of these experts presenting a balanced view of the pros and cons of their proposals. Decker noted that the current environment often incentivizes experts to present a one-sided picture, which can mislead the community. “In bitcoin, until now, you always had to be very loud, you had to be very salesy, and you always had to present this, this is my advantage, but there are everyone else's disadvantages,” he said. This competitive atmosphere has hindered honest and transparent discussions.
Engineering first
Rusty's proposal represents a significant change in the way the bitcoin development community approaches script improvements. By re-enabling the script's original functionality, the community can move away from politicking and toward a more collaborative and innovative future. As Decker says, “Let's approach this as engineers, which is what most of us are, and not as propagandists or salesmen just trying to do their thing.”
This conversation sheds light on ongoing efforts to improve bitcoin's scripting capabilities and underscores the importance of cooperation and honest dialogue to achieve these goals. As the bitcoin community continues to evolve, proposals like Rusty's offer a promising path to enabling more flexible and programmable money on the bitcoin network.
