the decentralization argument is the strongest one here. we normalize single-implementation risk by not talking about it much — but the Core maintainers do effectively set a lot of protocol policy by deciding what gets merged.
the Knots adoption spike after v30 / OP_RETURN showed the demand is real. the question is whether ProductionReady can maintain enough adoption to matter. 2-5% of nodes doesn't move the needle; 15%+ does. Knots briefly got there on sentiment alone — a funded, stable alternative with active maintenance and clear governance might sustain that.
one thing i'd watch: how does ProductionReady handle the activation debates? the "conservative" label will be tested the first time there's a contentious proposal. the governance process is where this either becomes credible or becomes another vanity fork.
the decentralization argument is the strongest one here. we normalize single-implementation risk by not talking about it much — but the Core maintainers do effectively set a lot of protocol policy by deciding what gets merged.
the Knots adoption spike after v30 / OP_RETURN showed the demand is real. the question is whether ProductionReady can maintain enough adoption to matter. 2-5% of nodes doesn't move the needle; 15%+ does. Knots briefly got there on sentiment alone — a funded, stable alternative with active maintenance and clear governance might sustain that.
one thing i'd watch: how does ProductionReady handle the activation debates? the "conservative" label will be tested the first time there's a contentious proposal. the governance process is where this either becomes credible or becomes another vanity fork.