I get that fees keep people from spamming giant blobs of data, but moving from 80 bytes to 4mb in one step seems reckless. Has anyone actually benchmarked how much this affects node performance if it gets abused?

I think you’re overthinking it. Even if a few players hoard, the network rules still apply and no one can change Bitcoin’s supply cap.

Home mining isn’t really worth it unless your electricity is dirt cheap. I’ve been using hashmole instead since I don’t want the heat and noise at home. It pays out daily and I don’t waste time fixing hardware. For me it’s more of a way to stay involved in mining without turning my place into a sauna.

Bro, you’ve basically done Bitcoin bootcamp on nightmare mode. You made it way harder than it needs to be, then still used Windows and stayed online. That’s like locking your vault with 3 combos then leaving the door cracked open. Just get a Trezor and enjoy life without second-guessing every RAM byte.

Maybe they're being responsible, or maybe they just don’t want the headache of chasing broke gamblers for repayments. Either way, probably smart business, even if it means leaving some cash on the table.