- 31 senior developers published a public letter on the main BitcoinCore.org website, taking a stance on technical changes.
- The letter supports easing restrictions on OP_RETURN transactions, which allow non-financial data to be stored on the blockchain up to 4MB.
- This move highlights a division between two groups: one supporting larger OP_RETURN data limits and one preferring strict data limits below 83 bytes.
- As of June 7, over 11% of internet-connected Bitcoin nodes used Luke Dashjr’s Knots software, signaling protest against the new changes.
- The website does not currently feature an op-ed from the opposing party, only presenting the opinion of one side of the debate.
On June 6, 31 senior developers published an open letter on BitcoinCore.org, the main site that distributes software for operating full Bitcoin nodes. The letter took a public position in support of increasing the amount of non-transactional data that can be stored on the network through OP_RETURN transactions.
OP_RETURN refers to the part of a Bitcoin transaction that allows users to place non-financial information on the blockchain. The new letter backs allowing full nodes to relay OP_RETURN transactions carrying up to 4 megabytes of data—much higher than the conservative limit of 83 bytes. These developers made their opinion piece the most visible item on the homepage.
The debate over OP_RETURN centers on whether Bitcoin‘s blockchain should support uses beyond transferring bitcoin. According to the op-ed, current practices by large mining pools like MARA already include handling oversized data transactions and accepting mempools such as Slipstream, which permit OP_RETURN outputs above the 83-byte limit. Progressives, including developers like Peter Todd and Antoine Poinsot, argue that standardizing this higher limit on Bitcoin Core would align with network realities. In contrast, conservatives, led by developers such as Luke Dashjr and BitcoinMechanic, want to keep the limit strict, aiming to preserve blockchain space for strictly financial activity.
Conservative node operators have increased their presence in response. On June 7, more than 11% of connected Bitcoin nodes were running Luke Dashjr’s Knots software, indicating organized resistance to adopting these higher data limits. Some critics accused Bitcoin Core developers of undermining the system. “Bitcoin Core devs have been changing the network gradually to enable spam and now seem focused on also removing barriers for spammers,” tweeted Samson Mow, expressing concerns about the move’s impact on the network.
The OP_RETURN debate is not new. Bitmex Research noted that in 2015, developers also used BitcoinCore.org to publish a joint letter during another period of dispute. The current difference is that the site now shows only one side’s viewpoint, with no op-ed from opponents of the change available on the homepage.
The discussion comes amid wider arguments about the best use of Bitcoin‘s block space and whether storing unrelated data benefits or harms the network in the long run. For now, only the progressive statement is displayed at BitcoinCore.org, making the website’s stance clear during this phase of debate.
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