Bitcoin Core vs. Knots in 2025: The Ongoing OP_RETURN War Between Bitcoin’s Two Major Clients

• What’s the Core vs. Knots Conflict About?
• How Does This Affect Bitcoin Users?
• The Technical Divide: OP_RETURN’s Future
• Market Reaction and Node Statistics
• What’s Next for Bitcoin’s Development?
• FAQ: Bitcoin Core vs. Knots Explained

The bitcoin community is once again divided, this time over the ideological and technical clash between Bitcoin Core and Bitcoin Knots regarding OP_RETURN usage. This conflict echoes the 2017 "blocksize war" but focuses on non-monetary use cases. With Bitcoin Core v0.30 set to lift the 80-byte OP_RETURN limit in October 2025, tensions are escalating. Here’s what you need to know about this battle and its implications for users.

What’s the Core vs. Knots Conflict About?

In early 2025, the Bitcoin community split into two camps over OP_RETURN usage, reminiscent of the 2017 blocksize war that led to Bitcoin Cash (BCH). This time, the debate centers on non-monetary use cases like data storage and ordinals. Bitcoin Core plans to lift the 80-byte OP_RETURN limit in v0.30, while Knots maintains strict filters to prevent "blockchain spam." The disagreement has turned personal, with Core developers labeling Knots supporters as "Knotzis" and memes targeting Luke Dashjr, Knots’ lead maintainer.

How Does This Affect Bitcoin Users?

For most users, this debate has little direct impact. Only 1-2% of nodes currently run alternative clients like Knots, compared to Bitcoin Core’s 87% dominance (per Clark Moody data). However, if Knots’ stricter policies gain traction, users relying on OP_RETURN for applications like timestamping might face compatibility issues. The real risk lies in potential security vulnerabilities if either client’s codebase becomes compromised.

The Technical Divide: OP_RETURN’s Future

Bitcoin Core’s upcoming v0.30 will remove the 80-byte OP_RETURN cap, leaving only the 4MB block size limit. Proponents argue this enables innovation, while Knots supporters warn of bloated blocks and increased node operation costs. Interestingly, this mirrors 2017’s scaling debate – except now it’s about data, not transactions.

Market Reaction and Node Statistics

Despite the drama, Bitcoin’s price remains stable around $63,000 (CoinMarketCap, August 2025). Node counts tell the story:

• 100,000+ total Bitcoin nodes
• 87% run Bitcoin Core (v0.29 or earlier)
• ~2% use Knots or other alternatives

What’s Next for Bitcoin’s Development?

With Core v0.30’s October 2025 release approaching, the community awaits whether Knots will harden its stance. Some analysts predict a "quiet fork" where nodes voluntarily filter transactions, creating parallel network states. As one BTCC market strategist noted: "This isn’t another chain split – it’s a philosophical divide about Bitcoin’s purpose."