Bitcoin Core builders have launched the most important v30 replace, introducing vital modifications to node structure, efficiency, and privateness.
Essentially the most contentious replace is the rise of the OP_RETURN information restrict from 80 to 100,000 bytes, permitting a lot bigger quantities of non-financial information to be embedded in transactions.
New privateness and node options
Alongside the OP_RETURN improve, v30 provides the choice for encrypted connections between nodes, aiming to reinforce privateness throughout the Bitcoin community.
With this launch, variations 27.x and older have reached end-of-life and can now not obtain updates, in accordance with the official announcement.
The expanded OP_RETURN capability has divided the neighborhood.
Supporters, resembling Ark Labs’ Alex Bergeron and Satoshi Labs’ Pavol Rusnak, argue the change allows extra highly effective decentralized purposes and displays robust engineering choices.
Bergeron commented by way of X that he intends “to make use of all the extra OP_RETURN house and WILL use it to make Bitcoin extra like Ethereum, besides higher.”
Critics, nevertheless, warn the change might result in blockchain bloat, larger node operation prices, and authorized publicity. Famous cryptographer Nick Szabo suggested:
“As a (hopefully) momentary measure, run Knots. I strongly advocate not upgrading to Core v30.”
Node operators search alternate options
A big share of node operators have switched to utilizing the choice Knots software program to implement stricter information measurement limits, with BitRef information displaying over 5,100 Knots nodes, or 21.5% of the community.
Szabo has additionally raised considerations in regards to the danger of internet hosting unlawful information, stating that with out safeguards, archival node operators might face felony legal responsibility.
Echoes of the block measurement wars
This debate recollects the block measurement wars of 2017, which resulted in a contentious cut up and the creation of Bitcoin Money.
Whereas the present replace isn’t a protocol-level change, it reignites questions on Bitcoin’s core use case and the stability between innovation and community integrity.