Bitcoin Core Developer Antoine Poinsot: The Great Consensus Cleanup

During my attendance at the MIT Bitcoin Expo, I had the opportunity to interview Bitcoin Core developer Antoine Poinsot. Currently working at Chaincode Labs, Antoine has previously worked at Wizardsardine, a bitcoin security company known for projects such as Revault, a pre-signed transaction based vault, and Liana, a miniscript based Bitcoin wallet. His first commit was merged to Bitcoin Core on May 16th, 2019.

One of the main topics of discussion during our conversation was the Great Consensus Cleanup proposal that Antoine is advocating for as a potential soft fork of the Bitcoin protocol. This proposal is based on Matt Corallo’s original version from 2019. Over the years, Bitcoin has faced various bugs, including the infamous inflation bug in 2010. While some bugs are minor and easily manageable, others pose significant risks to the network.

Antoine highlighted the different protocol bugs that still exist within Bitcoin and shared his proposed solutions to address them. Some of these bugs may seem trivial but can have serious implications if not addressed properly. By implementing the Great Consensus Cleanup proposal, Antoine aims to strengthen the security and stability of the Bitcoin network.

For a more in-depth look at our discussion, you can watch the full interview here:

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Overall, Antoine’s insights shed light on the importance of constantly improving and updating the Bitcoin protocol to ensure its longevity and security in the ever-evolving digital landscape. His dedication to addressing potential vulnerabilities within the network showcases the commitment of developers like him to safeguarding the future of decentralized finance.