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

The discussion revolves around the technical aspects and implications of certain practices within the Bitcoin network, particularly focusing on the NODE_LIBRE_RELAY service bit, the adoption of full-RBF (Replace-By-Fee) transactions, and strategies to counteract censorship mechanisms like the hypothetical 'garbageman' (GM) nodes.

NODE_LIBRE_RELAY's use as a service bit in the Bitcoin network is not widely adopted or recognized as standard practice. It highlights an issue where only a minority of nodes have chosen to parse this specific bit for a limited period, suggesting that its utilization falls outside the realm of common or established norms within the network.

The conversation then shifts to the topic of full-RBF transactions, which allows for the replacement of unconfirmed transactions in the network by ones with higher fees. This feature was scarcely supported until it became enabled by default in Bitcoin Core, indicating that changes in core software settings can significantly influence network practices. The swift acceptance of full-RBF among those who understood its implications suggests that broader consensus or support might have been achieved through more extensive lobbying, although leveraging Libre Relay (LR) offered a quicker solution.

Regarding anti-censorship efforts, the ability to measure total fees relayed is presented as evidence of the effectiveness of certain mitigation strategies against censorship. However, the introduction of additional GM nodes is seen as a potential method to counter these strategies. Despite this, private peering arrangements are mentioned as not being susceptible to interference by GM nodes, aligning with direct submissions to miners. This approach relies on the fundamental assumption that less than half of the network's hashrate is hostile. Under this assumption, transactions attempting to abuse the system would inherently incur higher costs, maintaining the integrity and resilience of the Bitcoin network against such threats.

The dialogue concludes with an openness to continue the discussion in a different forum, suggesting that the conversation's technical nature and complexity warrant a more suitable platform for thorough examination and debate.