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From: Chris Guida <chrisguida@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Sep 2025 13:16:03 -0600
Message-ID: <CAAANnUzf4SfgcixLuS0Uwe6pNyFWAtufzLuJrDdpnBwyU2bU7A@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [bitcoindev] [BIP Proposal] Mempool Validation and Relay Policies
 via User-Defined Scripts
To: Greg Maxwell <gmaxwell@gmail.com>
Cc: me@drbonez.dev, 
	Bitcoin Development Mailing List <bitcoindev@googlegroups.com>
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Hi Aiden -

This is a very interesting proposal! It certainly has the potential to
reduce tension over mempool policy by removing decisions over mempool
policy from bitcoin core's maintainers, who, if I understand correctly, are
not very interested in being the arbiters of policy over the bitcoin
network anyway.

This seems like an excellent way to let users decide which transactions
they will relay and which ones they won't, which core maintainers have no
control over anyway.

I'm cautiously optimistic that this proposal can help break the logjam.

Greg -

I'm somewhat confused as to your reaction here. This proposal democratizes
access to filter authorship; it does not seem in any way "authoritarian" to
me. On the contrary, this proposal seems less "authoritarian" than the
current state of affairs, which is that the core maintainers decide all the
defaults.

>If you're not doing that you might as well set blocks only.

Why is running blocksonly more beneficial than relaying some transactions
and not others? Why does bitcoin core not default to blocksonly (or no
filters at all) if partial filtration is undesirable?

Kind regards,

--Chris Guida

On Wed, Sep 24, 2025 at 12:47=E2=80=AFPM Greg Maxwell <gmaxwell@gmail.com> =
wrote:

> This appears to substantially misunderstands the purpose of the mempool
> broadly in the network-- it's purpose is to model what will get mined.  I=
f
> you're not doing that you might as well set blocks only.
> Significant discrepancies are harmful to the system and promote
> centralization and fail to achieve a useful purpose in any case.  What
> marginal benefits might be provided do not justify building and deploying
> the technological infrastructure for massive censorship.
>
> If you think this is important, I advise you to select another
> cryptocurrency which is compatible with such authoritarian leanings.  --
> though I am unsure if any exist since it is such a transparently pointles=
s
> direction.
>
>
> On Wed, Sep 24, 2025 at 6:30=E2=80=AFPM Aiden McClelland <me@drbonez.dev>=
 wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I'd like to share for discussion a draft BIP to allow for a modular
>> mempool/relay policy: https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/pull/1985
>>
>> I think it could potentially reduce conflict within the community around
>> relay policy, as an alternative to running lots of different node
>> implementations/forks when there are disagreements.
>>
>> I am working on a reference implementation using Bellard's QuickJS, but
>> it has been almost a decade since I've written C++, so it's slow going a=
nd
>> I'm sure doesn't follow best-practices. Once it's working, it can be
>> cleaned up.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Aiden McClelland
>>
>> --
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>> "Bitcoin Development Mailing List" group.
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send a=
n
>> email to bitcoindev+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
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8c6554f56n%40googlegroups.com
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68c6554f56n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=3Demail&utm_source=3Dfooter>
>> .
>>
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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Hi Aiden - </div><div><br></div><div>This is a very i=
nteresting proposal! It certainly has the potential to reduce tension over =
mempool policy by removing decisions over mempool policy from bitcoin core&=
#39;s maintainers, who, if I understand correctly, are not very interested =
in being the arbiters of policy over the bitcoin network anyway.</div><div>=
<br></div><div>This seems like an excellent way to let users decide which t=
ransactions they will relay and which ones they won&#39;t, which core maint=
ainers have no control over anyway.</div><div><br></div><div>I&#39;m cautio=
usly optimistic that this proposal can help break the logjam.<br></div><div=
><br></div><div>Greg -</div><div><br></div><div>I&#39;m somewhat confused a=
s to your reaction here. This proposal democratizes access to filter author=
ship; it does not seem in any way &quot;authoritarian&quot; to me. On the c=
ontrary, this proposal seems less &quot;authoritarian&quot; than the curren=
t state of affairs, which is that the core maintainers decide all the defau=
lts.<br></div><div><br></div><div>&gt;If you&#39;re not doing that you migh=
t as well set blocks only.</div><div><br></div><div>Why is running blockson=
ly more beneficial than relaying some transactions and not others? Why does=
 bitcoin core not default to blocksonly (or no filters at all) if partial f=
iltration is undesirable?</div><div><br></div><div>Kind regards,</div><div>=
<br></div><div>--Chris Guida<br></div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote g=
mail_quote_container"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Wed, Sep 24,=
 2025 at 12:47=E2=80=AFPM Greg Maxwell &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:gmaxwell@gmail=
.com">gmaxwell@gmail.com</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail=
_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204=
,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div>This appears to substantially=
=C2=A0misunderstands the purpose of the mempool broadly in the network-- it=
&#39;s purpose is to model what will get mined.=C2=A0 If you&#39;re not doi=
ng that you might as well set blocks only.=C2=A0 Significant=C2=A0discrepan=
cies=C2=A0are harmful to the system and promote centralization=C2=A0and fai=
l to achieve a useful purpose in any case.=C2=A0 What marginal benefits mig=
ht be provided do not justify=C2=A0building and deploying the technological=
=C2=A0infrastructure=C2=A0for massive censorship.</div><div><br></div><div>=
If you think this is important, I advise you to select another cryptocurren=
cy which is compatible with such authoritarian=C2=A0leanings.=C2=A0 -- thou=
gh I am unsure if any exist since it is such a transparently pointless dire=
ction.</div><div><br></div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D=
"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Wed, Sep 24, 2025 at 6:30=E2=80=AFPM Aiden Mc=
Clelland &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:me@drbonez.dev" target=3D"_blank">me@drbonez=
.dev</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"mar=
gin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1=
ex"><div>Hi all,</div><div><br></div><div>I&#39;d like to share for discuss=
ion a draft BIP to allow for a modular mempool/relay policy: <a href=3D"htt=
ps://github.com/bitcoin/bips/pull/1985" target=3D"_blank">https://github.co=
m/bitcoin/bips/pull/1985</a><br><br></div><div>I think it could potentially=
 reduce conflict within the community around relay policy, as an alternativ=
e to running lots of different node implementations/forks when there are di=
sagreements.</div><div><br></div><div>I am working on a reference implement=
ation using Bellard&#39;s QuickJS, but it has been almost a decade since I&=
#39;ve written C++, so it&#39;s slow going and I&#39;m sure doesn&#39;t fol=
low best-practices. Once it&#39;s working, it can be cleaned up.</div><div>=
<br></div><div>Thanks,</div><div>Aiden McClelland<br></div>

<p></p>

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</blockquote></div>

<p></p>

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</blockquote></div>

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