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[2607:f8b0:4864:20::530]) by gmr-mx.google.com with ESMTPS id 98e67ed59e1d1-313a68487dbsi239837a91.1.2025.06.12.09.45.39 for (version=TLS1_3 cipher=TLS_AES_128_GCM_SHA256 bits=128/128); Thu, 12 Jun 2025 09:45:39 -0700 (PDT) Received-SPF: pass (google.com: domain of christophera@gmail.com designates 2607:f8b0:4864:20::530 as permitted sender) client-ip=2607:f8b0:4864:20::530; Received: by mail-pg1-x530.google.com with SMTP id 41be03b00d2f7-b2f1032e1c4so1146339a12.3 for ; Thu, 12 Jun 2025 09:45:39 -0700 (PDT) X-Gm-Gg: ASbGncvHcNS0Use4mHXUWWUtmklHRIybLD7CtPUArzvTIWy+udP6/TOuyhV4XuRIE5g wCNKOTLJ2ayvxF+cX4p5/bzgsnzB1rplzanub9QgJheqyK0/7GwNrSaLsfHPcvJOycStmF3KoNu lR7b76OH6xiw5Xptt+2PFrkmcV3PzR8eX+tP8Uwoh8Jwl0vQ== X-Received: by 2002:a05:6a20:6f8e:b0:1f5:709d:e0c6 with SMTP id adf61e73a8af0-21f978ca8f3mr6450515637.42.1749746738632; Thu, 12 Jun 2025 09:45:38 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 References: In-Reply-To: From: Christopher Allen Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2025 09:45:02 -0700 X-Gm-Features: AX0GCFv0BVl3BKGBz6vBF1kE4JZV5TrTW28muucY_3HXwAwijg5kO9AXoW0j9AY Message-ID: Subject: The Case for Decentralizing Bitcoin Core Development [was Re: [bitcoindev] The case for privatizing Bitcoin Core] To: Bryan Bishop Cc: bitcoindev@googlegroups.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Original-Sender: christophera@lifewithalacrity.com X-Original-Authentication-Results: gmr-mx.google.com; dkim=pass header.i=@lifewithalacrity-com.20230601.gappssmtp.com header.s=20230601 header.b=vt3B1cvI; spf=pass (google.com: domain of christophera@gmail.com designates 2607:f8b0:4864:20::530 as permitted sender) smtp.mailfrom=christophera@gmail.com; dara=pass header.i=@googlegroups.com Precedence: list Mailing-list: list bitcoindev@googlegroups.com; contact bitcoindev+owners@googlegroups.com List-ID: X-Google-Group-Id: 786775582512 List-Post: , List-Help: , List-Archive: , List-Unsubscribe: , X-Spam-Score: -0.8 (/) In response to: https://groups.google.com/g/bitcoindev/c/43yjt8MXMvo On Tue, Jun 10, 2025 at 1:40=E2=80=AFPM Bryan Bishop wr= ote: > The case for privatizing Bitcoin Core: The concerns Bryan raised about coordination noise and GitHub's moderation limitations are real. We've seen how open platforms without clear boundaries invite persistent disruption =E2=80=94 not just trolling, = but sustained efforts to derail meaningful technical collaboration. But rather than framing this as a call for *privatization*, I think it's more productive to view the problem through the lens of *decentralization*. Git is already a distributed protocol =E2=80=94 we shou= ld be using it that way. We need infrastructure that supports secure, accountable collaboration without relying on centralized gatekeepers, corporate platforms, or closed offices. ## Git is Already Distributed =E2=80=94 Let's Lean Into That Git is a distributed version control system by design. In principle, any developer or group of developers can work together on their own forks, branches, or remotes =E2=80=94 and coordinate externally from GitHub= if necessary. What we often lack is robust and usable *infrastructure* for decentralized collaboration: systems that offer structure, provenance, access control, and cryptographic guarantees, without reverting to centralized or closed development. ## Open Source vs. Open Development It=E2=80=99s also important to recognize that an open-source license alone = is insufficient for true "Open Development". Sustainable open development depends not just on permissive licensing, but on values like transparent governance, verifiable contributions, and non-coercive collaboration. "Open Development" is a broader process that considers who can participate, how trust is earned, and what incentives shape behavior. These questions are especially vital in a high-stakes project such as Bitcoin Core. I've written an article on Open Development https://www.blockchaincommons.com/articles/Open-Development/ that I invite you to read as a parallel stream to this discussion. ## Transparency Is Not a Given =E2=80=94 It=E2=80=99s a Design Decision One criticism that has surfaced around Open Development is the idea that Bitcoin Core developers have a "duty of transparency." But this expectation is rarely defined. Is it a duty to publish *code*, to explain *decisions*, to make *deliberations* public in real time =E2=80=94 = or something else entirely? If transparency is important to Bitcoin=E2=80=99s social contract, then we should talk about what it actually entails, how it's balanced against resilience, and where it begins and ends. Developers already meet significant transparency obligations: reproducible builds, tagged releases, and open review processes. That=E2=80=99s not nothing. But assuming an *unlimited* or *unspecified* duty to perform transparently =E2=80=94 in every venue, at every stage =E2=80=94 can easily= become a vector for coercion or burnout. Like every part of this system, transparency needs intentional architecture, not moral ambiguity. ## A Proof-of-Concept: Open Integrity Project I help maintain the [Open Integrity Project](https://github.com/OpenIntegrityProject/core), which explores how Git repositories can be used as cryptographic roots of trust. Our work includes: * "Inception Commits" to establish a verifiable origin. * A signed `.allowed_commit_signers` policy to verify contributors. * Future plans for branch distribution via Bittorrent's DHT, FROST-based threshold signing, decentralized governance, and other methods. Open Integrity is *not a proposal for Bitcoin Core Developement*. But it proves that decentralized coordination around open-source codebases can be more secure, intentional, and resilient =E2=80=94 while remaining transparent and permissively licensed. ## Radicle and Other Directions Radicle (https://radicle.xyz) is another working example. It shows that peer-to-peer Git hosting and identity infrastructure are real and usable today. It may not fit every contributor, but it makes clear that **decentralization** =E2=80=94 not privatization =E2=80=94 is a viable= and thoughtful alternative to GitHub=E2=80=99s constraints. ## Structuring for Sovereignty Public dev spaces come with power dynamics =E2=80=94 and attackers exploit them. We need tools and norms that protect developer autonomy without killing transparency. That=E2=80=99s not impossible. But we have to build f= or it, not assume it comes for free. As I said, we shouldn't frame these transitions as =E2=80=9Cprivatizing=E2= =80=9D development, but we should instead focus on how to **structure decentralized collaboration** more effectively =E2=80=94 with clear boundaries, strong tooling, and healthy expectations. Still open, but designed to resist coercion and chaos. Let=E2=80=99s explore optional decentralized spaces where trust is earned, review is rigorous, and participation remains open =E2=80=94 but under conditions that developers can actually work within. No gates, just better scaffolding. -- Christopher Allen, Blockchain Commons P.S. As context for those who don't know me: I've been working on secure software since the early '90s =E2=80=94 contributing to projects lik= e RSAREF (used by PGP, Digicash, and other early cryptographic tools), SSLREF which led to TLS 1.0, and more recently the W3C DID 1.0 spec. I=E2=80=99ve participated in and helped shape multiple open-source and standards communities over the decades, including during my brief time at Blockstream and now with Blockchain Commons. My long view informs my belief that better tooling and clearer boundaries can preserve both openness and resilience. --=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 visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bitcoindev/= CACrqygAwod5_gM5Jqt15ZGsBA%2BorcOZ_r0J2%3DKPBN8%2BeTVnKqQ%40mail.gmail.com.