If the "ideal" scaling solution involves significant off-chain activity and smaller percentage of transactions on-chain, where are the network fees coming from as the block reward diminishes? The general notion is that fees have to increase over time to compensate for a reduction in mining rewards. If the cost for an individual to settle their payment channel is prohibitive or excessively time consuming because they have to wait for a block, not only does that mean off-chain doesn't work, it also potentially diminishes network fees because all it serves to do is prompt users to explore other options.
I agree with you. I don't expect you to continue to be reasonable, but I suppose I will try.
Do not exaggerate my position, sidestep, divert, answer questions with unrelated questions, or use non pertinent slander. Not that it should need saying
So, I agree. But you're starting by implying that I want 100% offchain transaction, with only channel opening tx's for fees. I've never said any such thing, and so your dangerously close to behaving in bad faith
already.
The biggest argument, which for as long as the scaling debate has been raging, no one has ever overcome, is that users will not support a system that does not support them. If you turn Bitcoin into a gold 2.0 settlement layer, it could either fail to generate sufficient tx fees to support the network, or the fees will become so excessive that only corporations and banks can afford to use it and its utility is vastly diminished. At the end of the day Bitcoin provides a service. Services that don't meet customer demand die in favour of those that do an open market.
You're right. Again, you're implicitly suggesting that's what I want; it isn't. Careful.
There is a balance to be struck between on-chain and off-chain, this is correct. That's what we're really arguing about, so it's good that someone has outlined it (and no, not you, me. This is the first time you've even gone near talking about the overall long term of late, and it's me that's summed that up in simple terms here)
If Bitcoin's main chain achieves a greater capacity, the cost can be spread over a greater number of participants and fees shouldn't rise to the point where most users are unable to afford it. Bitcoin retains its competitive edge. This is a perfectly valid argument as to why we shouldn't rule out on-chain scaling.
You're still having this problem. I've never once said that on-chain should be ruled out.
I have said that on-chain scaling and blocksize increases do not correspond to one another,
at all.
Read my lips: increasing the blocksize does not change the scale, it adds more resource usage at precisely the same scale. Stop arguing that blocksize increases are on-chain scaling, it's very very simple logic that
blocksize changes are resource increases, not scaling increases.
Do not make me repeat this to you, I am fully expecting you to exploit the subtlety between adding resources and increasing scalingAnd so my argument is simple: there are ways to scale on-chain. Let's do those, and achieve a sustainable balance between on-chain and off-chain transactions that has provable longevity. Any problems?