Bitcoin & NoSQL Databases explained.
Here's a great thread from our good friend Dhruv Bansal in which he compares Bitcoin to NoSQL databases. A very illuminating read to help one understand the design decisions behind Bitcoin, how it implements a similar architecture to NoSQL, how they differ, and why these similarities and differences make Bitcoin a truly unique beast in the world of computer science. If you're looking to dive a little deeper into the technical aspects of Bitcoin and what makes it functional, this is a great thread to dive into and digest (the thread is much longer than what is presented above so make sure you click the link).
\2 Congrats if you made it past tweet #1! (Phew)
— Dhruv Bansal (@dhruvbansal) August 3, 2020
This thread explains the tweet above by comparing bitcoin to NoSQL databases.
To be clear, bitcoin is *much* more than "just" a database. But we might learn something from thinking about it like one.
First, a little history...
\4 SQL databases run on a single *central* server (nerds: ignore sharding & replicas pls). As data volumes increase, the usual strategy is to make the server bigger.
— Dhruv Bansal (@dhruvbansal) August 3, 2020
But the huge volumes of data on the Internet led this "scale up" strategy to fail. Servers can only get so big...
\6 There are many flavors of NoSQL but they share commonalities:
— Dhruv Bansal (@dhruvbansal) August 3, 2020
* Distributed (no "leader" or "single source of truth")
* Append-only (deletes are new writes, peers gossip & replay the full dataset)
* Eventually-consistent (disparate "forks" can exist)
Remind you of anything??
\8 Today NoSQL is widely accepted; it powers many Internet companies (including Twitter).
— Dhruv Bansal (@dhruvbansal) August 3, 2020
Bitcoin *is* NoSQL! It inherits all the historical objections NoSQL overcame PLUS a whole new set based on its social & economic innovations.
Let's dig more into bitcoin as NoSQL database.
I particularly like how Dhruv pulls it all together at the end and explains how multisig setups can enable complex applications to be built on top of Bitcoin. This is a way of viewing multisig that really made a light bulb go off in my head and helped to reinforce my belief that Bitcoin's design decisions and focus on meticulous, conservative, and methodical building in an attempt to preserve the existing assurances provided by the network is the correct approach as we continue to build out this system.
We are still in the very early stages of this technology. Many are still attempting to grasp how the network can be leveraged to make complex and robust applications that have never been possible. Today's users and builders are essentially walking around in a dark room with our arms out attempting to discern where the walls are. Eventually we'll understand the confines of the system we're working within more clearly and that is when things will really start to get interesting. Bitcoin is going to be leveraged in ways that very few men can comprehend at the moment, and even they are unsure of all the details. It will be fascinating to watch this network develop. Especially once Schnorr + Taproot have been implemented, taking multisig to a whole new level of creativity.
Your Uncle Marty believes that those who told you Bitcoin isn't programmable money are in for a very rude awakening over the next ten years. The future is bright!
Final thought...
Isaias doing some damage today. Feels a bit early for hurricane season.
