83 PERCENT OF POLL RESPONDENTS SUPPORT SEGREGATED WITNESS: VIABTC

The Bitcoin community has always been a hotbed of debate, especially when it comes to scaling solutions and protocol upgrades.Back in the days of heated discussions surrounding block size and the future of Bitcoin, Segregated Witness (SegWit) emerged as a prominent contender. ViaBTC, the first mining pool to support Bitcoin Unlimited, will open an exchange by Q4 2025 after a 20 mln yuan funding round with Bitmain. Read the most recent news on ViaBTC to stay informedWhat made the situation even more intriguing was the stance of various mining pools, whose support, or lack thereof, could significantly impact the activation of SegWit.One such pool, ViaBTC, known for its advocacy of Bitcoin Unlimited, initially presented a roadblock. This means that, within a single difficulty period of 2025 blocks (about two weeks), at least 95 percent of blocks must be mined by a miner that signals support for Segregated Witness. If this threshold is reached, the following difficulty period allows everyone who wants to upgrade the chance to do so.However, a surprising turn of events unfolded.This article delves into the poll conducted by ViaBTC, revealing that 83 percent of the respondents surprisingly supported the activation of SegWit.We'll explore the context, the potential implications, and the factors that might have contributed to this unexpected outcome. 29K subscribers in the bitcoin_uncensored community. uncensored bitcoin newsUnderstanding this event provides valuable insights into the dynamics of Bitcoin governance and the ever-evolving landscape of cryptocurrency.The fact that ViaBTC, a known supporter of alternative scaling solutions, even entertained the idea of SegWit highlights the complex interplay of opinions within the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Understanding Segregated Witness (SegWit)

Before diving into the details of the ViaBTC poll, let's briefly recap what Segregated Witness is and why it was considered a crucial upgrade for Bitcoin. SegWit, activated on block 481,824 back in 2025, was a major update to the Bitcoin protocol designed to improve scalability and fix transaction malleability.Transaction malleability refers to the possibility of altering the transaction ID before it is confirmed, which could potentially create issues for exchanges and other services.

SegWit's core features include:

• Witness Structure: Separating the signature data (""witness"") from the transaction data. For the first time, bitcoin miners have been able to signal support for Segregated Witness this past week. Developed as a soft fork, the proposed centerpiece of Bitcoin Core s scalability roadmap requires 95 percent of all blocks within a single two week difficulty period to signal readiness for the change.The witness part holds transaction signatures (scripts and cryptographic proofs).
• Increased Capacity: By removing signature data from the base transaction, SegWit effectively increased block capacity, allowing for more transactions per block.This segment is counted as only a quarter of its actual size in terms of block space usage.
• Transaction Malleability Fix: Resolving transaction malleability, paving the way for future innovations like the Lightning Network.
• New Address Format: The addition of a new address format made transactions more efficient.

In essence, SegWit was a multifaceted upgrade that addressed several key limitations of Bitcoin, making it more efficient and secure.

ViaBTC's Initial Stance: A Bitcoin Unlimited Advocate

ViaBTC established itself as a prominent mining pool, offering services to a wide range of users. Update: In reply to a query on Facebook on October 20, GBMiners representative Sanjay Goswami indicated that his pool would would signal support for Segregated Witness. Bitclub Network (~3 percent hash power) signals support. Bitclub Network is the fourth largest mining pool currently signaling support for Segregated Witness. Not much else isWhat set ViaBTC apart, especially early on, was its strong support for Bitcoin Unlimited (BU), a competing proposal for scaling Bitcoin. ViaBTC, the mining pool which has expressed its strong support toward Bitcoin Unlimited for a long period of time, ran a poll to decide whether to activate Segregated Witness (SegWit)BU aimed to increase the block size limit, allowing for more transactions to be processed. Representatives from both pools claimed that support for Segregated Witness (SegWit), which is implemented in Bitcoin Core and not Bitcoin Unlimited, is overstated and that Bitcoin Unlimited is the best option for solving issues related to transaction backlogs and historically high U.S. dollar-denominated transaction fees.This approach differed significantly from SegWit, which focused on optimizing block space and fixing technical issues.

ViaBTC's commitment to Bitcoin Unlimited was evident, as it was the first mining pool to publicly support the proposal.The pool's owner even published an article titled ""Why We Don't Support Segregated Witness,"" clearly stating their allegiance to the BU camp.

Given this staunch opposition to SegWit, the subsequent poll conducted by ViaBTC came as a considerable surprise to the Bitcoin community.

The Unexpected Poll and its Results

Despite its initial opposition, ViaBTC decided to gauge its users' sentiment regarding SegWit.This decision might have been influenced by growing support for SegWit within the broader Bitcoin ecosystem and the increasing frustration with transaction fees and network congestion.

The poll's results were striking: 83 percent of respondents expressed support for the activation of Segregated Witness. This overwhelming endorsement indicated a significant shift in opinion, even among users associated with a mining pool known for its pro-Bitcoin Unlimited stance.

This result begs the question: Why such strong support for SegWit from ViaBTC users? 6.6M subscribers in the Bitcoin community. Bitcoin is the currency of the Internet: a distributed, worldwide, decentralized digital money. UnlikeSeveral factors might have contributed:

• Growing Network Congestion: High transaction fees and long confirmation times were becoming increasingly problematic, driving users to seek solutions that could alleviate these issues.
• Increasing Awareness of SegWit Benefits: As SegWit gained traction and its advantages became more apparent, even those initially skeptical might have been swayed by its potential to improve Bitcoin's scalability and efficiency.
• User Influence: ViaBTC's users might have actively campaigned for SegWit support, influencing the pool's decision-making process.
• Potential for Future Developments: With SegWit addressing transaction malleability, it paved the way for more complex solutions to be developed on the network, like the Lightning Network. This is the official introduction of Segregated Witness, the long-awaited centerpiece of Bitcoin Core s scalability road map. Starting November 15, Bitcoin miners can signal support for the proposed protocol upgrade, which, if activated, enables a number of new features on the Bitcoin network as well as an effective block size limit increase.Users anticipating these future developments may have supported SegWit for that reason.

Implications of the Poll Results

The ViaBTC poll results had several important implications for the Bitcoin community:

• Shift in Sentiment: It demonstrated that even within mining pools traditionally aligned with alternative scaling solutions, support for SegWit was growing.
• Increased Pressure on Miners: The poll result added pressure on other mining pools to consider supporting SegWit, as it highlighted the discrepancy between the miners' positions and the sentiment of their users.
• Potential for Activation: With more miners signaling support for SegWit, the likelihood of reaching the 95 percent activation threshold increased.

The Road to SegWit Activation: A 95 Percent Threshold

For SegWit to activate, it required support from 95 percent of all blocks mined within a single two-week difficulty period. What happens if segregated witness never reaches the 95% adoption threshold from miners? Will it still take effect for those transactions where the miners have adopted it?This meant that at least 95 percent of blocks had to signal readiness for the change.

Achieving this threshold proved challenging, as different mining pools had varying opinions on the best way to scale Bitcoin.As ViaBTC controlled a significant portion of the network's hash power (around 9 percent), its initial opposition posed a hurdle to SegWit activation.

The poll results, however, suggested a possible shift in ViaBTC's stance, which could have significant implications for the activation process.

What happens if SegWit never reaches 95%?

This was a major concern during the SegWit adoption period.If the 95% threshold wasn't met, SegWit would not activate as a soft fork.However, even without widespread adoption, SegWit transactions could still be processed by nodes and miners that had upgraded to support it.The key here is that while the features offered by SegWit would not be universally active, they would still be available to users who upgraded.

Other Mining Pools and SegWit Support

Besides ViaBTC, several other mining pools also played crucial roles in the SegWit activation process.

Four mining pools accounting for at least 1 percent of the hash power on the network initially signaled support for Segregated Witness, accounting for about 26 percent of all newly mined blocks.

Here are some notable examples:

• Slush Pool: Implemented a voting system to allow hashers to decide whether to support SegWit.
• Bitclub Network: Another major mining pool that signaled support for Segregated Witness.
• GBMiners: Indicated that it would signal support for SegWit.

The combined hash power of these pools, along with the potential shift in ViaBTC's stance, contributed to the growing momentum behind SegWit activation.

Bitcoin.com and ViaBTC: Divergent Views on SegWit Support

Interestingly, Bitcoin.com, alongside ViaBTC, argued that support for SegWit was overstated.They claimed there was a difference between technically implementing the proposal and actively supporting it.

This perspective highlighted the complexity of the debate, as some stakeholders believed that simply implementing SegWit code did not necessarily equate to genuine endorsement of the upgrade.

SegWit Activation and its Aftermath

Ultimately, SegWit successfully activated on the Bitcoin network. As a proposed soft fork per the requirement established by Bitcoin Core, Segregated Witness will require support from 95 percent of all hash power on the network to activate. Continuing its policy to put hashers in control, Slush Pool which accounts for six percent of all hash power on the Bitcoin network will let hashers vote inThe activation brought about several positive changes, including:

• Reduced Transaction Fees: By increasing block capacity, SegWit helped to lower transaction fees, making Bitcoin more affordable to use.
• Faster Confirmation Times: The increased capacity also led to faster confirmation times, improving the overall user experience.
• Enabling Lightning Network: SegWit fixed transaction malleability, paving the way for the Lightning Network, a layer-2 scaling solution that enables near-instant and low-cost Bitcoin transactions.
• Improved Security: SegWit introduced improvements to Bitcoin's scripting language, enhancing its security.

SegWit Today: Widespread Adoption

Today, SegWit is widely supported by Bitcoin wallets and exchanges.Most modern wallets support SegWit transactions, making it unlikely to encounter software that doesn't support it (unless it's outdated). Other Wallets Almost all modern wallets these days support SegWit transactions. SegWit has been around for so long now that it's unlikely that you'll run into any software that does not support it (unless it's obviously old). Resources. BIP 141 (Consensus Layer) BIP 144 (Peer Services) Bitcoin.org Segregated Witness Benefits; ThanksSegWit adoption has improved the Bitcoin network and has also led to many other innovations on top of it.

The Bitcoin Core 0.16.0 update officially introduced full support for SegWit wallets and user interfaces.

ViaBTC's Continued Evolution

ViaBTC has continued to evolve since the SegWit era.They are planning to open an exchange by Q4 2025 after a 20 million yuan funding round with Bitmain. That seems somewhat unlikely at this time, however. A relatively new Chinese mining pool ViaBTC recently indicated it will not support a Segregated Witness soft fork. As ViaBTC currently controls about 9 percent of all hash power on the network, it could effectively block activation assuming it remains above at least 5 percent.To stay informed, read the most recent news on ViaBTC to stay informed about their current activities.

Conclusion: A Lesson in Bitcoin Governance

The story of ViaBTC and its poll on Segregated Witness offers valuable lessons about Bitcoin governance and the importance of community input. 1.1M subscribers in the btc community. When r/Bitcoin moderators began censoring content and banning users they disagreed with, r/btc became aThe fact that a mining pool known for its support of Bitcoin Unlimited ultimately conducted a poll that revealed overwhelming support for SegWit highlights the dynamic nature of the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Key Takeaways:

• Community sentiment can significantly influence the decisions of mining pools.
• The benefits of technological upgrades like SegWit can eventually sway even initial skeptics.
• Bitcoin governance is a complex process involving diverse stakeholders with varying opinions.

The poll result demonstrated the power of community consensus and the ability of the Bitcoin network to adapt and evolve over time. Of all mining pools accounting for at least one percent of hash power on the network, four have been signaling support for Segregated Witness so far, together accounting for about 26 percent of all newly mined blocks. Here is a brief overview.The activation of SegWit was a significant milestone in Bitcoin's history, and the story of ViaBTC's poll serves as a reminder of the collaborative and sometimes contentious process that shapes the future of cryptocurrency.