Delivery-date: Sun, 28 Apr 2024 07:06:08 -0700
Sender: bitcoindev@googlegroups.com
Received-SPF: pass (google.com: domain of lf-lists@mattcorallo.com designates 2620:6e:a000:1::99 as permitted sender) client-ip=2620:6e:a000:1::99;
Message-ID: <6a787f0d-db85-48fe-9e00-217ccd2a0f2f@mattcorallo.com>
Date: Sun, 28 Apr 2024 09:45:54 -0400
MIME-Version: 1.0
Subject: Re: [bitcoindev] The Future of Bitcoin Testnet
To: Jameson Lopp <jameson.lopp@gmail.com>, bitcoindev@googlegroups.com
References: <CADL_X_eXjbRFROuJU0b336vPVy5Q2RJvhcx64NSNPH-3fDCUfw@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Language: en-US
From: Matt Corallo <lf-lists@mattcorallo.com>
In-Reply-To: <CADL_X_eXjbRFROuJU0b336vPVy5Q2RJvhcx64NSNPH-3fDCUfw@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Precedence: list
Mailing-list: list bitcoindev@googlegroups.com; contact bitcoindev+owners@googlegroups.com

It has always been very clearly communicated that if testnet starts being v=
alued or traded it will=20
be reset. There's some legitimate debate over parameters in a reset here, b=
ut in the mean time=20
testnet3 has ceased to serve its intended purpose as a valueless test platf=
orm. Thus, it should at=20
minimum be removed.

On 3/31/24 9:19 AM, Jameson Lopp wrote:
> Hi all,
>=20
> I'd like to open a discussion about testnet3 to put out some feelers on p=
otential changes to it.=20
> First, a few facts:
>=20
> 1. Testnet3 has been running for 13 years. It's on block 2.5 million some=
thing and the block reward=20
> is down to ~0.014 TBTC, so mining is not doing a great job at distributin=
g testnet coins any more.
>=20
> 2. The reason the block height is insanely high is due to a rather amusin=
g edge case bug that causes=20
> the difficulty to regularly get reset to 1, which causes a bit of havoc. =
If you want a deep dive=20
> into the quirk: https://blog.lopp.net/the-block-storms-of-bitcoins-testne=
t/=20
> <https://blog.lopp.net/the-block-storms-of-bitcoins-testnet/>
>=20
> 3. Testnet3 is being actively used for scammy airdrops; those of us who t=
end to be generous with our=20
> testnet coins are getting hounded by non-developers chasing cheap gains.
>=20
> 4. As a result, TBTC is being actively bought and sold; one could argue t=
hat the fundamental=20
> principle of testnet=C2=A0coins having no value has been broken.
>=20
> This leads me to ponder the following questions, for which I'm soliciting=
 feedback.
>=20
> 1. Should we plan for a reset of testnet? If so, given how long it has be=
en since the last reset and=20
> how many production systems will need to be updated, would a reset need t=
o be done with a great deal=20
> of notice?
>=20
> 2. Is there interest in fixing the difficulty reset bug? It should be a o=
ne liner fix, and I'd argue=20
> it could be done sooner rather than later, and orthogonal to the network =
reset question. Would such=20
> a change, which would technically be a hard fork (but also arguably a sel=
f resolving fork due to the=20
> difficulty dynamics) necessitate a BIP or could we just YOLO it?
>=20
> 3. Is all of the above a waste of time and we should instead deprecate te=
stnet in favor of signet?
>=20
> - Jameson
>=20
> --=20
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups=
 "Bitcoin Development=20
> Mailing List" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an=
 email to=20
> bitcoindev+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com <mailto:bitcoindev+unsubscribe@go=
oglegroups.com>.
> To view this discussion on the web visit=20
> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bitcoindev/CADL_X_eXjbRFROuJU0b336vPVy5=
Q2RJvhcx64NSNPH-3fDCUfw%40mail.gmail.com <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid=
/bitcoindev/CADL_X_eXjbRFROuJU0b336vPVy5Q2RJvhcx64NSNPH-3fDCUfw%40mail.gmai=
l.com?utm_medium=3Demail&utm_source=3Dfooter>.

--=20
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "=
Bitcoin Development Mailing List" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an e=
mail to bitcoindev+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/=
bitcoindev/6a787f0d-db85-48fe-9e00-217ccd2a0f2f%40mattcorallo.com.