Something to ponder.
Article March 1 2024
What the Bitcoin halving means for BTC mining centralization
Quoted in parts:
The problem of centralized mining
Jesper Johansen, founder and CEO of venture capital firm Northstake, is one of the figures predicting increased volatility for BTC mining, leading to increased centralization.
"Bitcoin researcher Chris Blerc has long been sounding the alarm on centralization. As Blerc argues, centralized mining creates numerous risks for BTC, including the potential blacklisting of certain products, such as coin-joining services.
In December 2023, Blerc took to social media platform X to highlight that the two major mining pools controlled 55% of the hashing power. The top two mining pools, AntPool and Foundry USA, are both regulatory compliant and require all miners to fulfill Know Your Customer obligations — ostensibly placing control in the hands of U.S. regulators.
“We could be one chess move away from some big problems for Bitcoin. But even worse is the fact that nobody really wants to talk about it. Where’s the urgency?” asked Blerc."
end quote.
Article April 16 2024
Bitcoin halving supply shock set to shake up mining sector
Quote:
"Will centralization threaten Bitcoin as miners leave?
One of the core values of cryptocurrencies — and specifically of Bitcoin — is decentralization.
In the first years of Bitcoin, anybody with a personal computer could mine the cryptocurrency. As Bitcoin became more popular, so did the appetite for cryptocurrency miners.
As the industry evolved, several mining groups formed that allegedly threatened to centralize the Bitcoin mining industry, an aspect that would horrify its creator, Satoshi Nakamoto."
end quote.
Something to ponder, in my humble opinion.............