Zawy’s Alternating Timestamp Attack

The discussion revolves around the resilience of the current network, which is deemed to be relatively stable and not under any significant attack. It emphasizes the need for any proposed mechanism to function effectively even in conditions far more challenging than those currently experienced. A specific rule that suggested a 600-second penalty for blocks violating a -10 second guideline is considered problematic, especially when the median delay exceeds 5 seconds. Consequently, the suggestion is to eliminate this rule while retaining the approach of prioritizing mining on blocks with the most accurate timestamps.

This strategy encourages miners to switch their efforts to a block with a more timely timestamp if it closely follows another block, potentially indicating a selfish mining attack or simply a well-connected part of the mining network. This mechanism aims to enhance the integrity and efficiency of the mining process by adapting to real-time circumstances, such as attacks or network delays, ensuring that miners align their efforts with the most accurately timed block available.