Censorship Resistant Transaction Relay - Taking out the garbage(man)

In an intriguing discussion on the dynamics of blockchain security, particularly within the context of Bitcoin, an analysis was presented regarding the efficacy of the first-seen rule in mitigating the success rate of potential attacking pools. The rule's significance becomes apparent when considering its impact on the strategy of mining alternate chains following the detection of "bad" blocks by a pool. By adhering to the first-seen rule, the attacking pool's likelihood of successfully reorganizing the blockchain is significantly reduced from a linear relationship with their hash power fraction (f) to a quadratic one. This mathematical transition implies that while theoretically smaller pools could be at a disadvantage, the practical implications are minimal due to the inherently low probability of a successful reorganization occurring.

Moreover, the exploration into this subject delves into the hypothetical scenario where an attacking pool dedicates 10% of its hashing power towards sustaining an alternate chain, underlining the competitive and logistical challenges such a strategy would entail. The proposition involves the pool persistently mining on this alternate chain for a predetermined period after identifying an undesirable block, irrespective of new blocks being found, until a longer chain emerges. This tactic, albeit speculative, raises pertinent questions about the rational limits of transaction fees other miners would be willing to sacrifice to circumvent the risks associated with blockchain reorganization.

The discourse also hints at the complexity of conducting a precise mathematical analysis on this topic, suggesting that a more adept individual in mathematics could provide a more accurate and detailed examination. Through this examination, the conversation not only emphasizes the nuanced strategies pools might employ to influence blockchain integrity but also showcases the inherent safeguards and considerations embedded within the Bitcoin protocol to deter such adversarial actions.