Bitcoin Core Devs Spark Uproar With Divisive Protocol Shift

Bitcoin's gatekeepers just lit a match in a room full of gas—again. The latest proposed policy change has the community split sharper than a fork chain.

Developers defend the move as 'necessary evolution.' Critics call it a power grab dressed as progress. Meanwhile, traders barely glanced up from their leverage positions.

One thing's certain: when the suits start citing 'governance improvements,' hodlers should check their wallets twice.

TLDR

• Bitcoin Core developers removed the 80-byte data limit for transaction relays, allowing larger data segments to be embedded more efficiently
• 31 Bitcoin Core developers released a joint statement defending the decision, arguing it protects Bitcoin’s censorship resistance principles
• The change sparked community division, with critics calling it a drift from Bitcoin’s original monetary purpose
• Developers say the old data cap was ineffective as users found ways to circumvent it anyway
• Transaction relay policy affects how nodes share transaction data across the Bitcoin network

Bitcoin Core developers have defended their decision to remove data limits for transaction relays after facing criticism from the Bitcoin community. The change has divided users over what constitutes Bitcoin’s proper use.

On May 5, core contributors announced the next bitcoin upgrade would eliminate the 80-byte data cap for transaction relays. The long-standing limit was originally designed to discourage non-payment data usage on the blockchain.

The developers argued that users had found ways to bypass the restriction anyway. They said removing an ineffective deterrent WOULD allow the fee market to handle competing demands for block space.

Community Splits Over Policy Direction

The announcement triggered debate within the Bitcoin community about the network’s primary purpose. Some users viewed the change as logical while others saw it as inviting spam transactions.

On June 6, 31 Bitcoin CORE developers released a joint statement defending their position. They emphasized that Bitcoin users have ultimate freedom to choose their software and policies.

The developers stated they are not in a position to mandate how users utilize the blockchain. They argued that protecting censorship resistance remains a core principle of Bitcoin.

Transaction relay serves three main functions according to the developers. It predicts which transactions will be mined, speeds up block propagation, and helps miners discover fee-paying transactions.

The developers said refusing to relay transactions that miners would include anyway forces users into alternative communication channels. This undermines the stated goals of transaction relay.

Technical Justification for Policy Change

The Bitcoin Core team explained that transaction relay policies should focus on denial-of-service protection and fee assessment. They should not block transactions with sustained economic demand that reliably make it into blocks.

The developers noted that Bitcoin node software should not intervene between consenting transaction creators and miners. They described large data transactions as “largely harmless at a technical level.”

The statement clarified that the change does not endorse non-financial data usage. Instead, it accepts that Bitcoin as a censorship-resistant system will be used for various purposes.

Bitcoin Core developer Luke Dashjr opposed the policy change in social media posts. He argued that the goals of transaction relay listed by the developers are wrong and potentially centralizing.

Dashjr said expecting spam transactions to be mined represents defeatism. He believes such transactions should be treated as denial-of-service attacks rather than legitimate use cases.

Pseudonymous user SatsScholar called the new policy an ideological drift from Bitcoin’s monetary purpose. They argued that treating any paid transaction as valid is economically naive.

Dennis Porter, CEO of Satoshi Action Fund, described the policy change as “absolutely condoning bloat.” Other critics emphasized Bitcoin’s original design as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system.

Some miners also expressed concern about the change. One miner claimed removing the data cap risks diluting Bitcoin’s monetary focus and could threaten scalability.

Supporters Defend Developer Position

Jameson Lopp, co-founder of Bitcoin wallet Casa, supported the developers’ statement. He noted that Core developers cannot force users to run specific code versions.

Lopp emphasized that the statement reflects the developers’ thinking on relay policy and network health. He defended their approach to maintaining Bitcoin’s decentralized nature.

The developers acknowledged that their view is not universally held by all users. They expressed sincere belief that the policy change serves Bitcoin’s long-term interests.

The Bitcoin Core team said they will continue applying their best judgment in aligning transaction acceptance rules. They plan to consider Bitcoin’s long-term health and miners’ rational self-interest.

The policy change affects how Bitcoin nodes share transaction and block validation data across the network. Nodes relay this information to keep the blockchain updated across all network participants.