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> How can Ethereum be decentralized if they can so easily keep changing it? Decentralization doesn't mean it needs to be immutable. It just means that power an
by menzoic 8y ago
> How can Ethereum be decentralized if they can so easily keep changing it?
Decentralization doesn't mean it needs to be immutable. It just means that power and responsibility is distriubted to many.
> I'm a total dilettante in crypto but if something is decentralized you can't make large-scale changes to it at the drop of a hat.
Exactly, you're correct. It's not easy for these changes to actually take effect. It takes a majority of miners to vote for and adopt any change/fork. The miners are the ones who are running the decentralized network. Even miners who vote for the change can choose to not upgrade their software to the new version.
> Imagine how much coordination effort it takes to change TCP/IP or HTTP
This is why I'm amazed at the skill of the Bitcoin & Ethereum team's ability to continue upgrading a platform that has no central control.
- jki275 8y agoThe miners have zero incentive to ever let it go to proof of stake, as the instant they do they lose their income stream. So the "snooze button" as they call it, is pretty much guaranteed to keep getting pushed.
- rcxdude 8y agoThe power of the miners is overblown: the mining power follows the price/value of the coin, not the other way around, and the price is determined by the users transacting on it, not the miners (though the miners can of course try to interfere with the users ability to transact, but this generally pushes the price down).
- splintercell 8y ago> Decentralization doesn't mean it needs to be immutable. It is also impossible to create immutable software.