If it's decentralized, there can be no enforceable terms. So, the only thing we have is the code itself. I don't see how the DAO hack could be illegal on that basis according to most common law systems.
Ethereum has a big single point of failure called Vitalik Buterin. It's also not even decentralized. The mining is even worse than Bitcoin, and the nodes is definitely WORSE than Bitcoin at such insane level of growth rate.
I recognize that Vitalik and the Ethereum Foundation have significant influence over consensus forks, but that doesn't equate to a "single point of failure." I also recognize that ETH pool mining is highly centralized, but given the state of Bitmain and its proxies, I'm not sure I can agree regarding mining centralization in Bitcoin.
In any case, the Ethereum protocol is properly described as decentralized. It's just a description of how validation works in the protocol. I have no interest in engaging in a pissing contest between BTC and ETH with regard to "degree of centralization." I don't care about that.
There was never an alignment to fork. The fact that Ethereum Classic was created and still exists shows that it was a failed hardfork. A successful fork doesn't generate an altcoin, if there is consensus the legacy chain dies.
As a starting point, we should assume that consensus never exists beyond the protocol one has opted into (by running a node).
Actual consensus to incompatibly fork is logically impossible; that requires 100% of users to not only upgrade, but to agree absent coercion. That's why I oppose any miner-backed hard fork "upgrades" in Bitcoin: if backed by hashpower, they are coercive and therefore unethical.
As such, I'm not of the belief that a "successful" hard fork requires 100% of users to upgrade. There's nothing wrong with communities splitting, and that's exactly what should happen sometimes. The fact that some level of hash power and user base remained on the Classic chain casts doubt on your idea that Vitalik Buterin is the ultimate arbiter as well.
Vitalik and friends lost a lot of money and they recovered it via hardfork. Ethereum is a joke. No "code is law", not a safe store of value, doesn't even scale to be an usable token for common payments. I still don't see why ETH is worth what it is other than it's ability to generate ICO's and Vitalik having big connections like Putin, certain banking groups etc, to keep it in the news.
Okay. I guess Ethereum really gets your goat, huh?
Anyway, I don't have a dog in this race. I have no reason to have strong opinions or argue about this crap. If Ethereum only exists as an example of what not to do with Bitcoin, then perhaps it even provides some value to Bitcoin development...
