Bitcoin Q&A: Bitmain and the ASICBoost allegations

ASICBoost and the allegations against Bitmain. What implications will this have on breaking the impasse between Bitcoin Core and Bitcoin Unlimited. I don't know if the allegations on covert mining are true, but we do know that there is an energy consumption advantage and Bitmain owns the patent for these chips. They claim they've only used them on the testnet but not the mainnet, 'for the good of the network.' However, if they didn't use it and won't use it, then they shouldn't mind if we disable it in a counter-optimisation. Covert ASICBoost threatens to derail protocol development. It's not a free market if this invention is patented under the threat of state force. The source of the drama for many actors in this scaling debate is about bruised egos, not scientifically supported arguments on the technology.