Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2022 02:27:31 +0000
To: John Carvalho <john@synonym.to>,
 Bitcoin Protocol Discussion <bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org>
From: ZmnSCPxj <ZmnSCPxj@protonmail.com>
Message-ID: <mbdvMAocVkRVOHgwFJQ6z9c0IY1GxfhPKrIhd4yFYsYed_-m_0AzoELUhbBNEN1HByblCPmZmWyQ5Ow5TtGIY036az6gbfYUnyPtO_SkI18=@protonmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <CAHTn92wri-edhivrtqZCoEzAPEmwZFap12mM4yzxgp77O-+JYA@mail.gmail.com>
References: <mailman.48662.1670246787.956.bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org>
 <CAHTn92wri-edhivrtqZCoEzAPEmwZFap12mM4yzxgp77O-+JYA@mail.gmail.com>
Feedback-ID: 2872618:user:proton
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Subject: Re: [bitcoin-dev] [Opt-in full-RBF] Zero-conf apps in immediate
	danger (angus)
Precedence: list

Good morning John, et al,


> > As has been pointed out by may others before, full RBF is aligned with =
miner (and user) economic incentives
>=20
>=20
> This is a theory, not a fact. I can refute this theory by pointing out se=
veral aspects:
> 1. RBF is actually a fee-minimization feature that allows users to game t=
he system to spend the *least* amount in fees that correlates to their time=
-preference. Miners earn less when fees can be minimized (obviously). This =
feature also comes at an expense (albeit small) to nodes providing replacem=
ent service and propagation.

It is helpful to remember that the fees are a price on confirmation.
And in economics, there is a "price theory":

* As price goes down, demand goes up.
* As price goes up, net-earning-per-unit goes up.

The combination of both forces causes a curve where *total* earnings vs pri=
ce has a peak somewhere, an "optimum price", and that peak is *unlikely* to=
 be at the maximum possible price you might deem reasonable.
And this optimum price may very well be *lower* than the prevailing market =
price of a good.

Thus, saying "RBF is actually a fee-minimization feature" neglects the econ=
omics of the situation.
If more people could use RBF onchain, more people would use Bitcoin and inc=
rease the value to miners.

Rather than a fee-minimization feature, RBF is really an optimization to *s=
peed up* the discovery of the optimum price, and is thus desirable.

Unfortunately many 0-conf acceptors outright reject opt-in-RBF, despite the=
 improved discovery of the optimum price, and thus there is a need for full=
-RBF to improve price discovery of blockspace when such acceptors are too p=
revalent.

Regards,
ZmnSCPxj