[pooploop64]

Wow I can't believe this lightning crap is still going. No wonder crypto is still a joke, you clowns are still pushing Bitcoin like it's the be-all-end-all of crypto, and not the first ever reference implementation of blockchain. It's so obsolete at this point that it's not even funny anymore. It's sad. I wanted so badly for crypto to be a thing. But it never will because of these people. And I don't even want it anymore if it has to be bitcoin until we're all dead. All of the criticisms of crypto are 100% accurate when regarding Bitcoin. It destroys the environment and the parts economy simultaneously with it's ridiculous hardware requirements. Lightning doesn't make that go away. I remember 6 years ago there was already reams of new blockchains that made Bitcoin look like the cotton gin. And they will never be used for anything. Please switch to scalping pokemon cards from kids or something, it would be less despicable and damage the world less.

[greyface-]

Bitcoin is designed to be unkillable; the network won't die just because some people dislike it. The difficulty adjustment will keep it going no matter how much or little hash power is spent on it. As long as it doesn't die, it will have stronger Lindy than any permissionless replacement. Permissioned alternatives (stablecoins, Taler, etc) may find some temporary success, but are bound to monetary authorities that have no choice but to self-sabotage in the long run. Its only real monetary competitor at this point in time is gold, which cannot be sent over the Internet without the aid of a trusted third party. Objections made from an aesthetic frame, such as this one, are understandable but have little to no impact on its long-term success.

[pooploop64]

Is this AI? None of it has anything to do with my comment. Power usage is not an "aesthetic" element it's literally as far from that as you can get.

[greyface-]

What I'm saying is that your (and others') distaste for the amount of power currently allocated to it is an aesthetic preference, and has no bearing on the viability or utility of the Bitcoin network. It will consume exactly as much or as little energy as people throw at it. And it's not actually being allocated that much energy right now: global air conditioning power consumption is ~10x global bitcoin mining power consumption. Is air conditioning destroying the environment?

[pooploop64]

We're talking about two different things. I've never doubted that there will always be some people out there pumping and dumping their meme asset until we're all dead. There's still people trying to rally the gamestop thing. But I wanted a currency man. I wanted to buy stuff from artists and tradespeople without christian fundamentalists at some credit card company having to like it. I wanted to truly own my money. And I wanted to be able to buy stuff like food with it, WITHOUT losing money to exchange fees before I can ever use it anywhere. In those regards, distaste for bitcoins many showstopping flaws absolutely made crypto in total go away. Even the people who like it won't talk about it anymore because it's embarrassing. If it was common knowledge that there are other currencies that don't have Bitcoins problems, we could have been in a very different place. But almost 20 years later I still can't use any cryptocurrency for anything except an alternative to Western Union for the literal one person I've ever known who's actually willing to use crypto for a real purpose. As for the air conditioning or whatever, it doesn't matter. Everyone already left.

[greyface-]

I share your frustration with the sluggish uptake as everyday currency. This is, however, a social and political issue rather than a technical one. People don't see the problem with just using US government dollars; they buy the energy FUD; they see the IRS telling you that you need to track and pay capital gains on your 5000 sat coffee purchase, and they walk away. A new blockchain with a different monetary base and different technical properties isn't going to change this. Most people just do not yet understand why one would want an uncensorable, self-sovereign money. This will eventually change - maybe within our lifetimes - and when it does, Bitcoin will still be there.