ChainCatcher news, Bitcoin-listed mining company MARA stated that controlling key resources such as Bitcoin's block space and hash rate (the pillars of the network) could have profound implications for America's financial sovereignty and its ability to maintain global influence in the digital age. It called on the U.S. government to take decisive action to address the challenges posed by Bitcoin and seize opportunities, while implementing the following strategic measures:Create a U.S. Bitcoin Strategic Reserve. The U.S. should acquire Bitcoin as a strategic reserve asset. By holding Bitcoin, similar to the U.S. being a major holder of gold, America will ensure its transactional capability when confidence in the dollar weakens globally;Invest in domestic Bitcoin mining. The U.S. should prioritize expanding its domestic Bitcoin mining operations to increase its share of global hash power. By controlling a larger portion of global hash power, the U.S. can ensure secure access to block space and protect its economic sovereignty;Develop mining technology to promote self-sufficiency. Encourage domestic production of mining hardware (ASIC chips) to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers. This will ensure that the U.S. does not depend on critical infrastructure from hostile nations, thereby enhancing technological self-sufficiency and strengthening national security;Implement supportive policy regulations. Establish clear and comprehensive regulations to provide legal clarity for Bitcoin miners and investors. Offering incentives, such as tax breaks for incorporating renewable energy into mining operations, will further stimulate industry growth, technological advancement, and job creation;Lead global Bitcoin standards. The U.S. should take a leadership role in establishing global standards for decentralized networks. By collaborating with allies and ensuring that Bitcoin remains a neutral, open, and secure platform, the U.S. can promote stability in global financial transactions and prevent the centralization of hash power by hostile nations;Protect national security through hash power control. As competition in Bitcoin mining intensifies, controlling a significant amount of domestic hash power will protect the U.S. from foreign interference. Ensuring a strong share of global hash power can prevent hostile nations from censoring or delaying U.S. transactions, which could have serious economic repercussions.

ChainCatcher news, the CEO of the Bitcoin mining company Barefoot Mining, Bob Burnett, stated that as Bitcoin becomes increasingly prevalent in the global economy, the demand for access to block space at certain times and dates will rise. This demand will give rise to a block space futures market, where mining companies will offer their product (block space) to bidders who need access to the Bitcoin network for transactions.This will change the concept of the actual value of blocks, shifting from its financial value (fees + subsidies) to a more scarce and limited resource, considering that several companies and high-value individuals and offices will need access to it to complete critical transactions. This situation will stabilize the revenue of Bitcoin mining companies, which will benefit from transaction fees rather than subsidies over the next 15 years.Bob Burnett stated that as Bitcoin becomes essential for companies and nation-states, the value of Bitcoin block space will be regarded as an indispensable scarce commodity.

ChainCatcher news, Bitcoin NFT protocol Ordinals founder Casey Rodarmor posted on social media that having different sources of demand for Bitcoin block space might be a good thing.He stated that if the different sources of demand are not completely related, the overall demand curve may be smoother than its components.

ChainCatcher news, according to The Defiant, the new CEO of the Polkadot development organization Web3 Foundation, Fabian Gompf, stated in an interview that Polkadot is about to undergo a significant transformation. Polkadot will soon abandon the parachain slot auctions and adopt a new mechanism that allows application developers to rent block space as needed.

ChainCatcher news, encryption researcher Data_Always published an article stating that in 2022, Ethereum accounted for 80% of all block space fees, while BNB Chain accounted for the remaining 80%, and the largest simple transfer models (Bitcoin, Dogecoin, and Litecoin) accounted for a negligible amount of fees in comparison. On the day of the Otherdeed NFT minting, the fees generated on Ethereum exceeded the total fees of Bitcoin for the entire year of 2022.The share of Gas used by L2 has doubled, but the adoption rate remains low; however, this may improve with the rollout of EIP-4844. For Ethereum, it is essential to continue scaling and prioritize the usability of the protocol. Although fees will always be a KPI, the new goal is to have scaling outpace adoption, which will be key to driving prices up and solidifying Ethereum's position in the crypto ecosystem.Despite adopting a subsidized transaction model, Tron still surpassed Bitcoin in block space demand and maintained relatively stable fees throughout the year, primarily due to Tron's capture of low-value USDT transfers. The Bitcoin Lightning Network has yet to see meaningful growth, and expectations for Lightning Network adoption have been overly optimistic, with most transaction fee peaks attributable to the collapse of crypto institutions. (source link)