The --assumevalid flag is an interesting trade-off in Bitcoin Core, designed to speed up initial block download by assuming certain validation on old blocks. It's enabled by default with a checkpoint block to prevent reorg attacks on the chain's distant past. Security isn't really compromised for modern blocks, but it's a reminder that checkpoints introduce a slight trust assumption. This is why full node operators concerned with maximal security might choose to disable it or independently verify history. It's one of those pragmatic choices balancing security and usability.
The --assumevalid flag is an interesting trade-off in Bitcoin Core, designed to speed up initial block download by assuming certain validation on old blocks. It's enabled by default with a checkpoint block to prevent reorg attacks on the chain's distant past. Security isn't really compromised for modern blocks, but it's a reminder that checkpoints introduce a slight trust assumption. This is why full node operators concerned with maximal security might choose to disable it or independently verify history. It's one of those pragmatic choices balancing security and usability.