According to U.Today, Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin has recently delved into the challenges surrounding Bitcoin, particularly focusing on the Bitcoin block size war. Buterin shared his insights on the concept he termed the ‘one-sided competency trap,’ which he explored through his review of two books on the subject. His aim is to help users understand and avoid this trap.
Buterin used a political analogy to describe the situation, noting that there are two distinct groups: those in power and those trying to gain it. He observed that the parties in power are often seen as authoritarian and possibly incompetent, while the opposition is viewed as too weak to implement real changes. He applied this analogy to the Bitcoin blockchain, where innovation has largely stagnated, contrary to many people’s hopes. Buterin pointed out that attempts to create alternatives, such as Bitcoin Cash (BCH), have been largely ineffective.
To address this one-sided competency war, Buterin suggested that the opposition must first recognize the fundamental problem. Then, they need to create intentional solutions to address it. He emphasized that merely identifying the problem is insufficient; a concerted effort is required to restore the core operational principles of a blockchain that can truly compete with traditional payment systems.
While Buterin’s review focused on the books by Roger Ver and Jonathan Bier about Bitcoin, he also acknowledged the challenges faced by Ethereum. However, he noted that the broader blockchain community is more proactive in developing better alternatives. For instance, layer-2 scaling solutions are effectively addressing fee issues, and alternative layer-1 networks like Solana, Cardano, and XRP Ledger are enhancing the usability features of functional blockchains.