Monero uses an adaptive block weight based upon the CryptoNote excess size penalty with a median over the last 100 blocks, cryptonote.org/whitepaper.pdf, to provide the capacity for increases and decreases in the number of transactions. In 2019 this adaptive block weight was modified by the introduction of a long term median over the last 100,000 blocks to mitigate against a sharp increase in the block weight, due to possible spam attacks. We will consider the scenario of external economic events causing a sharp decrease in he number of transactions after several years of growth, followed by a recovery and then further growth several months later. We will also consider the possibility of a sharp increase in the number of transactions, due to economic disruptions, during the current COVID-19 pandemic. and in its aftermath. We will propose changes to the Monero adaptive block weight in order to mitigate against a sharp increase in transaction fees and allow for a smooth recovery, and further growth in the block weight after a sharp drop in the number of transactions . The period between the initial drop in the number of transactions to the full recovery with further growth of the block weight would be in the order of months. |