Regarding AlphaMine, to answer your question about proof, there are multiple issues in play here. One is determining who this AlphaMine character is. Irredeemably evil, misunderstood genius, something in the middle? The other is about what we do to defend ourselves. I need no proof whatsoever to determine that we need to defend ourselves, as > 50% hash is an existential threat, regardless of the intent or character behind it. Determining motivations might help in figuring out what sorts of countermeasures will be the most effective in dealing with the issue. Some people are going to respond well social pressure. Others are going to be provoked further by it. Some people are going to respond to economic incentives. Others are going to have different goals. Understanding the person's character/motivation is essential to finding the best avenue in dealing with them. Maybe you don't see the value in that, but I do. And I'm not interested in a monolithic culture. We all make mistakes, we all need pushback sometimes. What's important is that we provide pathways for people to be redeemed. Paranoia is a great way to destroy the trust from the inside out. And conformity around every issue is a great way to ensure it rots the same way the SHA256 community did.