Our commitment to Bitcoin, beyond mining.
Breaking Down Bitcoin Mempool Policy and Slipstream | PETER TODD
In honor of Peter Todd’s recent appointment as lead maintainer of MARA Slipstream, Isabel Foxen Duke sits down with the veteran Bitcoin Core contributor to explore Slipstream’s unique role in the Bitcoin ecosystem — and the role of private mempools in R&D.
Tracing a line from early Replace-by-Fee (RBF) testing to modern experimentation with Quantum Safe Bitcoin, Todd breaks down how the use of private mempools has historically fueled protocol innovation.
The episode covers the technical nuances of the Taproot annex, the computational hurdles behind optimal block packing, and his longstanding views on the use of Bitcoin for data availability.
TIMESTAMPS:
🎙️ 01:45 The 10-year journey to get full RBF enabled on Bitcoin Core
🔓 05:09 Why Libre Relay relaxes standardness rules for non-standard transactions
🛠️ 06:40 Explaining version numbers, CSV, and relative time locks
📜 08:07 Why the Taproot annex is Peter's favorite standardness rule to bypass
🏎️ 10:11 How the Lightning Network actively depends on arbitrary data publication
🌐 12:54 Why the battle over DA is a "play fight," not a war
👀 16:00 The origins of OP_RETURN and early DA limits
⚡ 19:19 Pre-inscription data use cases including Open Timestamps
🎲 24:36 Why optimal block packing presents computational hurdles
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Fred Thiel — Chairman and CEO, MARA Holdings
Our mission
MARA Foundation represents MARA's ongoing strategic commitment to Bitcoin—and our belief that Bitcoin is the most important emerging technology for self-sovereignty and human freedom in the world.
Through internal initiatives and external partnerships, we'll activate programs to advance Bitcoin education, accessibility and R&D.
Where we focus
Financial
Freedom
Enabling financial sovereignty worldwide
Around the world, particularly across the Global South, Bitcoin is being used as a tool to escape financial oppression in jurisdictions affected by hyperinflation, confiscatory policy, and restrictions on financial freedom. We are committed to supporting communities using
Bitcoin to expand access to sound money and strengthen local economies.
COMMUNITY
EDUCATION
Making Bitcoin usable through understanding
We believe informed participants build stronger networks and more resilient systems. The Foundation is dedicated
to creating and supporting spaces for Bitcoin education, from policy makers and industry professionals to developers and first-time users, in the languages and communities where it's needed most.
FUNDING
BUILDERS
Opening Bitcoin to those who need it most
Anti-Bitcoin regulation, gaps in infrastructure, and weak technical tooling keep the network out of reach for the people who would benefit from it most. We engage policy makers in support of pro-Bitcoin regulation, and are committed to advancing easy-to-use tooling and expanding access worldwide.
FUTURE
PROOFING
SECURITY
Preparing Bitcoin for the quantum era
Quantum computing is not an immediate threat to Bitcoin. But because the network evolves deliberately and upgrades take time, early preparation matters. We
support research and development of quantum-resistant tools, including proposals like BIP 360 — co-authored Isabel Foxen Duke (MARA),
as well as the development
of quantum-resistant technical tooling
(e.g. PQ wallets).
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