A core dev is a core dev, regardless of their significance. Just to name a few: Mike Hearn, Gavin Andresen, Jeff Garzik. I could dig up more names, but that would be pointless -- the truth is, many core developers have left Core. Some simply walked away, some got involved in complementary Bitcoin projects, and others either supported or worked on competing projects.

I'm not saying these developers are evil -- just pointing out that not all core devs are loyal to BTC forever. Sure, some are probably very committed to Bitcoin, but the same can be said for certain miners and everyday users. Loyalty varies, and that's just the nature of a decentralized ecosystem.

 
I didn't know that, to be honest. I thought core devs received enough donations to make working on other projects a lot less tempting. Obviously, this kind of information isn't public, so we have to take your word for it -- and I don't see any reason to deny it.


Nah, it doesn't work that way. When you look at it from the BTC perspective, it's safe to assume that in most cases, selling your gear before BTC ROI is achieved results in a net loss. Mining is a very risky business, and most miners end up losing BTC in the process. Margins are tight, and it's difficult to fully grasp unless you're directly involved.

There's also the infrastructure aspect -- when you take out a loan to build a facility, buy a transformer, run all the wiring, and sign long-term power and rent contracts (which can cost as much as half the gear itself), you're locked in. You can't just back off. It's the opposite -- it's like quicksand. The more you commit, the deeper you sink.

We can definitely dive deeper into the mining business if needed, but that might be off-topic. To summarize: "walking away" is not really an option once you've started investing in mining. Doing so would almost certainly lead to massive losses.


Maybe I used the wrong words earlier, and it came off like I was saying Core devs don't care about BTC. That's not what I meant. I was mainly comparing their stake vs. others, especially in terms of exit options, which 'again' is very subjective and everyone can look it the way they like.

Also, I think it's fair to point out that developers in general aren't always great decision-makers. That's why you have product managers in most companies. It's not uncommon for a developer to think something is good for the business when it's not. The mindset of an ambitious programmer can easily be misaligned with real market needs.

With that said, I have nothing but respect for core devs (old and new), regardless of some devs' terrible attitude. They have indeed contributed a lot to BTC, and credit should be given where it’s due.


I agree that he jumped in without reading the entire topic, but threatening to ban him for that reason goes against what this forum stands for. People have been rude to theymos himself and even publicly lobbied against him in some cases, yet he never threatened to ban them.