Proposal: Pluggable Filter Framework

Understanding the mempool's purpose is crucial as it models potential transactions for mining, influencing various aspects of Bitcoin's network, including its approach to decentralization. Contrary to what might seem intuitive, decentralization benefits not from distributing policy-making across node operators but rather from maintaining uniformity in transaction selection criteria. This uniformity aids in the synchronization of nodes regarding candidate transactions for mining, which in turn enhances propagation speed and block reconstruction efficiency. As a positive side effect, this synchronization also leads to more accurate fee estimation.

The misconception that pushing policy decisions onto node operators enhances decentralization stems from an incomplete understanding of the network's operational dynamics. In reality, if every operator were to follow their own set of policies for transaction selection, it would inadvertently lead to increased centralization within the mining aspect of the network. This is because discrepancies in policy would slow down the consensus process, making the network more reliant on fewer, larger nodes that can manage these discrepancies efficiently. However, it’s important to acknowledge that while adhering to a uniform policy may not directly benefit individual node operators in terms of network influence or control, it could have indirect benefits. For example, a node with specific resource constraints might find an advantage in customizing its transaction selection strategy to match its capabilities, even though such customization does not contribute to network decentralization.