Latest news with #GregSanders
Crypto Insight
07-05-2025
- Business
- Crypto Insight
Bitcoin Core to unilaterally remove controversial OP-Return limit
Bitcoin Core developers have decided to remove a limit on transaction data in the next network upgrade, enabling more data to be included in a more efficient way. 'Bitcoin Core's next release will, by default, relay and mine transactions whose OP_RETURN outputs exceed 80 bytes and allow any number of these outputs,' read the announcement on GitHub by Bitcoin developer Greg Sanders on May 5. The long-standing limit was originally a 'gentle signal that block space should be used sparingly for non-payment proof of publication data,' has outlived its utility, he added. The proposal (PR 32359) was created by Bitcoin pioneer Peter Todd at the request of Chaincode Labs. OP_RETURN is a special type of Bitcoin transaction output that allows storing small amounts of data on the blockchain, popularized during the ordinals inscriptions craze in early 2024. Unlike regular transaction outputs, OP_RETURN outputs are not spendable and don't bloat unspent transaction outputs (UTXOs). The original limit is no longer effective as people found ways around it, such as using fake output addresses, which are actually worse for the network, while some mining services were already ignoring the limit, said Sanders. 'Large-data inscriptions are happening regardless and can be done in more or less abusive ways; the cap merely channels them into more opaque forms that cause damage to the network.' Benefits of removing the limit include a cleaner UTXO set, or database of spendable outputs, more consistent behavior across the network, and better alignment with how Bitcoin is actually being used, he added. Three possible paths were considered: keeping the cap, raising the cap and removing the cap, which was ultimately decided upon after earning 'broad, though not perhaps unanimous, support.' A controversial change to Bitcoin 'Many users find this to be an undesirable change for a number of reasons,' said Bitcoiner Samson Mow on X on May 5. He added that users 'can refuse to upgrade and stay on 29.0 or run another implementation' of the network. Critics said that the proposal was introduced without a proper consensus process. 'I think one thing is pretty clear, there is no consensus at the moment on this OP_RETURN issue,' said Ten31 Fund managing partner Marty Bent. Some also expressed concerns about deprioritizing Bitcoin's financial utility and raised questions about undisclosed conflicts of interest. Source:
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
RETURN Limit Removal in Next Release
The debate over Bitcoin's OP_RETURN heats up, as developers of Bitcoin Core – the most popular node software – said they plan to scrap OP_RETURN entirely in the next release. The OP_RETURN limit is an 80-byte cap on the amount of arbitrary data that can be embedded in a Bitcoin transaction using a special, unspendable output field. 'Large-data inscriptions are happening regardless and can be done in more or less abusive ways,' said Core contributor and Engineer at Blockstream Greg Sanders, known as 'instagibbs,' in a post on Github announcing the removal. 'The cap merely channels them into more opaque forms that cause damage to the network.' The debate centered on whether lifting the 80-byte OP_RETURN limit promotes transparency and simplifies data use on Bitcoin, or whether it opens the door to abuse, spam, and a shift away from Bitcoin's financial focus. On Github, Sanders added that enforcing the cap has created perverse incentives pushing users to embed data in fake public keys or spendable scripts. Removing the limit, he argues, 'yields at least two tangible benefits: a cleaner UTXO set and more consistent default behavior.' Not everyone is convinced. Core developer Luke Dashjr has long viewed inscriptions and other data storage as spam, and warned in April 2025 that this change was 'utter insanity.' Amid the controversy, Bitcoin Knots, also maintained by Dashjr, has seen growing adoption, hitting approximately 5% share of all nodes. ( Bitcoin Knots, a more customizable fork of Bitcoin Core, appeals to users seeking greater control over what their nodes relay or store, including allowing users to reject non-payment transactions like inscriptions. Some prominent thought leaders in the industry, like Samson Mow, are encouraging node operators not to upgrade their version of Bitcoin Core, or use Knots instead. Sanders defended the removal of the cap as aligned with Bitcoin's ethos: minimal, transparent rules. 'By retiring a deterrent that no longer deters,' he wrote, 'Bitcoin Core lets the fee market arbitrate competing demands.' But that isn't bringing much consensus. 'This marks a fundamental shift in the direction of Bitcoin,' one commenter warned on GitHub. "This is the largest mistake Core can make at this juncture," another on Github added. 'I want to be on the record saying that.' CORRECT: (May 6, 08:14 UTC): Removes "former" developer from seventh paragraph.
