Paul Sztorc | Drivechains: Scaling Bitcoin Without Compromise

In this episode, Paul Sztorc discusses his vision for drivechains, a concept he believes could advance Bitcoin by allowing for permissionless innovation and competition among developers, leading to a diverse array of L2 applications that work in tandem with Bitcoin's L1. Drivechains would enable large-scale blockchain solutions, enhanced privacy features akin to Zcash, and innovative applications such as decentralised Namecoin and prediction markets without changing the core of Bitcoin. Sztorc emphasises the importance of competition and suggests that drive chains could align miners' incentives with users' desires through transaction fees. He acknowledges there are cultural and political barriers within the Bitcoin community that affect the adoption of new ideas like drivechains, citing the reluctance to implement soft forks and the influence of a "Bitcoin is perfect" mentality as hindrances to innovation. Despite these challenges, Sztorc continues to promote drivechains, advocating for a solution that would allow Bitcoin to scale while maintaining its decentralised and secure foundation.