The internet is unnecessary for Bitcoin to work as long as highly motivated people with some kind of computing devise at home are willing to keep it alive. The blockchain can be passed around on a flash drive.
What use is the blockchain on a USB if it takes days or weeks to receive it? I can only verify a payment if i have an upto date version. If i cant verify a payment, i cant trust it...
1. good point.. damn good point..
2. You dont verify a payment, just collect.. Yeah I know the app is verifying the blocks hash's.. but how 'cant' you trust it? Verify the payment by looking at blockchain using senders address, wether your synced or not, it should still show in the blockchain even though you have yet to receive it?
I cant verify a payment against an out of date, offline blockchain. How do i know it hasn't been spent since the last entry i have recorded? Someone can roll around the country infront of the USB drive spending the same bitcoin address over and over.
People talk about the current confirmation cycle being too slow for widespread adoption. Offline blockchain is antithesis of bitcoin.