Look, Ghash doesn't have 51% anymore. Look, Slush or Eligius, who were major pools are not such anymore. Look, now you're complaining about Discus Fish who were irrelevant not too long ago.
According to your theory (highlighted), such changes are not possible. So how did that happen?
You misunderstood me. It does not matter if the pool is called GHash.io or XY, point is that mining pools are too big and miners still tend to mine with big mining pools. Currently bitcoin is controlled by 4 mining pools (together >51%)
So your/kokoije's posts were pointless and didn't address ab8989's concerns?
Sorry, I don't understand what you mean. ab8989's concerns are that "market pull" of PoS is small... sounds like an argument with unclear or subjective assumptions.
it seems impossible to get any straight-forward answers here, other than hysterical reaction and arguments like "PoS is great because mining sucks".
Noone said that. Facts were presented. Do you agree with following statements?:
- If anyone controls >51% of block generating in a blockchain currency, they can double spend. Such a system is centralized.
- GHash.io controlled >51% at one point
- Currently, 4 mining pools control >51% of hashing power
- There is not a single PoS with market cap over 1M where 4 accounts produce >51% of all blocks.
- Multiple mining pools could in theory be controlled by one party, as could multiple PoS accounts.
Although nothing can be proven because of the last bullet, the above statements indicate that block generation process of existing PoS systems is more decentralized.
1) Since anyone can own infinite number of wallets/addresses, how would you even know whether the coin is currently centralised or not? Is there anything more than just hopes and belief?
See last bullet
2) If at any point in the future (when the coin is established) it is revealed and proven that one person/entity/government owns say 40% and plays on maximising his stash. What can be done to prevent him from increasing his stake to 50% by simply stashing. Can anything be done or is it 'Game Over'?
Same as would happen when a malicious government controls 40% hashpower (40% is already enough to do "51%" attacks
): Game Over. It does not matter if the situation in PoW can change, if a party wants to attack, they only need a few days max of 40% until they succeed with double spending it to death.
It is unclear which one would cost more, but if you look at market dynamics and price, it looks like buying 40% of a PoS version of Bitcoin would be a tad more expensive than building a 40% mining farm.
3) Assuming PoS coin not fully issued from the start. There is a clear and strong incentive to hoard ('stake').
Most PoS coins issue all coins at once.
Edit: This is my last post on the topic. I think that our views are not compatible, and that no one will change his point of view. It does not make sense to go on.