Re:Bitcoin Gold Hit by Double Spend Attack, Exchanges Lose M...
by TeMPOraL on Thursday May 24, 2018 @12:11AM
(#17141028)
> There's a hidden cost of trust there
Yes, except the trust is free. Bitcoin replaces that trust with burning electricity.
It's kind of like standing on the ground. The surface of the Earth stops you from accelerating under gravity for free. But if you want to hover just above it, you have to burn ungodly amounts of energy, because you're now replacing surface with active propulsion. This is the same relationship as Bitcoin has with trust.
And yes, flying is occasionally useful. So are trustless systems. But both the ground and trust are features that cut out a lot of unnecessary energy usage from our lives.
Yes, except the trust is free. Bitcoin replaces that trust with burning electricity.
It's kind of like standing on the ground. The surface of the Earth stops you from accelerating under gravity for free. But if you want to hover just above it, you have to burn ungodly amounts of energy, because you're now replacing surface with active propulsion. This is the same relationship as Bitcoin has with trust.
And yes, flying is occasionally useful. So are trustless systems. But both the ground and trust are features that cut out a lot of unnecessary energy usage from our lives.