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If the network is under load you can prioritize by paying a higher fee. If mining slows down it can take more time for a block, but difficultly will adjust to get back to 10mim cadence.

I'm not sure what you mean by centrally registered clients. You can still use bitcoin peer to peer. Also the idea that banning peer to peer bitcoin would be what would make decentralization not worthwhile feels rather circular.

[bovinejoni]

Surge pricing to settle stock trades? Obviously this is worse than the existing tech

To trade you need to be registered by regulated entity, it’s already a centralised environment. You’re also purchasing shares issued by a centralised issuer, the corporation. Your suggestion that bitcoin offers any solution to settlement (much less a superior solution), just escapes me

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I'm not sure why you are talking about stock trading. Settlement is a general, non stock specific thing. I'm talking about settlement in regular transactions, e.g. paying rent or buying groceries.