&gt; Core&#x2F;blockstream&#x27;s position is not consistent and logical.<p>Please don&#x27;t conflate Bitcoin Core and Blockstream.<p>&gt; Should users be able to make decisions? Should core developers be able to over-ride those decisions? Bitcoin is a system with majority decision making.<p>Bitcoin is <i>not</i> a majority-rule system. The only point in which a majority rule applies is a tie-breaking strategy for resolving valid ledger branching. And that vote doesn&#x27;t enfranchise users!<p>Bitcoin is a system that explicitly rejects majority rule. It replaces user determination with fixed, inflexible machine arbitration. It is from this fact that Bitcoin is <i>not</i> a democracy that it derives all of its user-protecting properties like irrevocable payments and inflationary protections.<p>&gt; Making Side-chains the major cornerstone of the Bitcoin ecosystem will turn out to be a mistake. Side-chains don&#x27;t make much sense if you understand incentives and risk. The same applies to Lightning which will equally be a failure.<p>You are welcome to your own opinions. Thankfully your permission is not required to new, innovative use of scripting features that were built into bitcoin from day 1.