Proposal to replace full blockchain with recent history plus UTXO Set

Proposal to replace full blockchain with recent history plus UTXO Set
2018-09-25 15:47 ` Dave Scotese
  
From: Dave Scotese @ 2018-09-22  1:49 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: Bitcoin Dev

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I've been working on an idea that relieves full nodes of storing the entire
blockchain. Open source software generally relies on the fact that "enough"
people agree that it's secure. Bitcoin software works that way too. So if
you understand enough to see that a UTXO set is valid at a certain block
height, and there are enough other people who agree and that set is
recognizable by humans, then we can use that UTXO set and ditch the
blockchain that existed up to that point. It would save a lot of storage
and make it a lot easier to run a full node.

Have you reviewed the source code from which your wallets were compiled?
At some point, we all trust third parties, but generally (at least among
people who understand Bitcoin) they are large composite groups so that no
small group or individual can profit from cheating.

I look forward to answering any concerns and also to any offers of help.   I
used block 542324 of the Bitcoin blockchain to make a memorable experience
using the game of life. I wrote a script for the open-source Game-of-Life
software Golly and shared it in the paste at https://pastebin.com/k5Ssc0qk.
It produces the image at https://imgur.com/a/rwIQuVz. If someone can tell
me how to get a UTXO Set from the bitcoin client, I'll send them $50 of
bitcoin. Then I could get the SHA256 hash of that set and try to make a
recognizable checkpoint for the Bitcoin blockchain. If someone runs Golly
and shares a video of the game playing out (into the apron-shaped image),
I'll send them $50 of bitcoin too.

In a few decades when the blockchain has grown to a few terabytes and the
UTXO Set is still just a few gigabytes, I'd like to see more people start
running full nodes without the hassle of a long wait and loads of storage
space. That's what stops me from running one.

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2018-09-22  1:49 [bitcoin-dev] Proposal to replace full blockchain with recent history plus UTXO Set Dave Scotese

  
From: Dave Scotese @ 2018-09-25 15:47 UTC (permalink / raw)
  To: Bitcoin Dev

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 The image at imgur and the pastebin both reference block 542324 but the
correct block is 542322.  As the pastebin shows, the decimal and hex
representations I gave for the block height did not match, and this is
why.  If you use the Merkle root for block 542322 instead of 542324, you'll
be able to see the correct Game of Life play out and make the apron image.

Dave.

On Fri, Sep 21, 2018 at 6:49 PM Dave Scotese <dscotese@litmocracy•com>
wrote:

> I've been working on an idea that relieves full nodes of storing the
> entire blockchain. Open source software generally relies on the fact that
> "enough" people agree that it's secure. Bitcoin software works that way
> too. So if you understand enough to see that a UTXO set is valid at a
> certain block height, and there are enough other people who agree and that
> set is recognizable by humans, then we can use that UTXO set and ditch the
> blockchain that existed up to that point. It would save a lot of storage
> and make it a lot easier to run a full node.
>
> Have you reviewed the source code from which your wallets were compiled?
> At some point, we all trust third parties, but generally (at least among
> people who understand Bitcoin) they are large composite groups so that no
> small group or individual can profit from cheating.
>
> I look forward to answering any concerns and also to any offers of help.   I
> used block 542324 of the Bitcoin blockchain to make a memorable experience
> using the game of life. I wrote a script for the open-source Game-of-Life
> software Golly and shared it in the paste at https://pastebin.com/k5Ssc0qk.
> It produces the image at https://imgur.com/a/rwIQuVz. If someone can tell
> me how to get a UTXO Set from the bitcoin client, I'll send them $50 of
> bitcoin. Then I could get the SHA256 hash of that set and try to make a
> recognizable checkpoint for the Bitcoin blockchain. If someone runs Golly
> and shares a video of the game playing out (into the apron-shaped image),
> I'll send them $50 of bitcoin too.
>
> In a few decades when the blockchain has grown to a few terabytes and the
> UTXO Set is still just a few gigabytes, I'd like to see more people start
> running full nodes without the hassle of a long wait and loads of storage
> space. That's what stops me from running one.
>
>

-- 
I like to provide some work at no charge to prove my value. Do you need a
techie?
I own Litmocracy <http://www.litmocracy.com> and Meme Racing
<http://www.memeracing.net> (in alpha).
I'm the webmaster for The Voluntaryist <http://www.voluntaryist.com> which
now accepts Bitcoin.
I also code for The Dollar Vigilante <http://dollarvigilante.com/>.
"He ought to find it more profitable to play by the rules" - Satoshi
Nakamoto

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