- All-OP_RETURN blocks: If miners fill total 4 MB blocks with nothing however massive OP_RETURN outputs, what are the validation and propagation penalties?
They can not. OP_RETURNs exist in transaction outputs, which aren’t topic to the witness low cost. The biggest consensus-valid quantity of OP_RETURN information in a block is slightly below 1 million bytes, considerably smaller than what is feasible with fully odd segwit transactions. They’re are additionally far less complicated to validate; it is transaction inputs which are costly by way of computation and I/O phrases.
Even ignoring that, relay coverage remains to be restricted to 100 kvB transactions. A miner can in fact exceed that, however that was already the case, and their capacity to take action is unaffected by the (default) coverage adjustments in Bitcoin Core v30.
- Mempool flooding: What occurs if the community is flooded with 1000’s of very massive OP_RETURN transactions that linger unconfirmed? How does eviction carry out in opposition to “fewer however heavier” junk txs?
Fewer bigger transactions is much preferable on this regard than many small transactions.
- Propagation asymmetry: Might sustained megabyte-heavy blocks widen propagation gaps between high-bandwidth and low-bandwidth miners, rising orphan threat and centralization strain?
That’s the reason the block weight restrict exists. Blocks could possibly be crammed to 1 MvB (and as much as 4 MB serialized measurement) no matter coverage, and steadily have been. If something, together with massive OP_RETURNs reduces the influence right here, as they aren’t topic to the witness low cost 4x issue, so their inclusion displaces extra witness bytes than their very own serialized measurement.
- Storage progress: Sustained 4 MB junk blocks would develop the chain by ~576 MB/day (~210 GB/12 months). How effectively does Core’s blockfile and database design deal with such progress, particularly for pruned nodes?
Sustained 4 MB junk blocks are already potential. OP_RETURN outputs cut back the disk progress area, by not being topic to low cost.
- Price market influence: If OP_RETURN demand competes straight with financial transactions, has payment estimation been stress-tested for non-financial blockspace utilization?
I do not see how payment estimation could be affected by, or is in any approach associated to, the consumer’s intent for transactions.
