Bitcoin developer and advocate Jimmy Song criticized the Bitcoin Core developers’ choice to eliminate the OP_Return limit for non-monetary data in the forthcoming Bitcoin Core 30 upgrade, describing it as a “fiat” mentality.
Song accused the Core developers of sidestepping user concerns about the removal of the current 80-byte OP_Return limit, dismissing significant backlash from the Bitcoin community and node operators. He also stated:
“The argument that spam is hard to define, and therefore we shouldn’t differentiate in the software, is just a waste of time stemming from fiat politics where you act oblivious, preventing the real discussion from starting — non-monetary uses of Bitcoin are spam.
While one can debate whether this is desirable, claiming it can’t be defined is merely a tactic to dodge the real conversation about its actual implications — especially the long-term consequences of this change,” Song added.
The debate over OP_Return has persisted for nearly six months and resembles the Bitcoin block size wars from 2015 to 2017, which led to a hard fork resulting in Bitcoin Cash (BCH). This has prompted speculation about whether the OP_Return discourse may lead to a similar split.
Related: Taproot creators didn’t predict its ‘trolling value’ — Bitcoin developer
Node operators flock to Bitcoin Knots in unprecedented exodus
The Bitcoin Core developers’ decision to remove the OP_Return data limit unilaterally has caused division within the Bitcoin community and resulted in a historic surge of Bitcoin node runners migrating to Bitcoin Knots, an alternative Bitcoin node software implementation.
This influx of nodes utilizing Bitcoin Knots now constitutes about 20% of the network, a significant rise from roughly 1% in 2024, indicating a sharp increase within just nine months.
Knots enables node operators to enforce strict data size limitations, which supporters argue is essential for maintaining the decentralization of the Bitcoin protocol.
Since its launch in 2009, the Bitcoin ledger has amassed approximately 680 gigabytes of data, benefiting from Bitcoin’s straightforward architecture and stringent data constraints.
This low data storage requirement allows anyone to operate a node on consumer-grade hardware for as little as $300, promoting accessibility and ensuring maximum decentralization.
In contrast, other blockchain networks and smart contract platforms that produce significantly more data can cost tens of thousands of dollars to run and necessitate specialized commercial hardware, limiting node operation to affluent investors and large firms.
High hardware demands contribute to greater centralization within a blockchain protocol and increase the risk of collusion among a few nodes to alter consensus rules or reverse transactions.
Magazine: Bitcoin’s long-term security budget dilemma: Impending crisis or FUD?
