Bitcoin Fork’s New 45‑Day Rule Triggers Resync Issues for Low‑Cost Nodes

Developer Luke Dashjr of Bitcoin Knots told a supporter of his Bitcoin fork to “get a real computer” after a newly introduced rule caused the user’s Raspberry Pi node to restart the initial block download.

Background on the fork

The fork split from the main Bitcoin network in August and changed its mining algorithm to BLAKE2b on September 1. Since the split, it has attracted minimal hash‑rate and has not been listed on major exchanges.

New 45‑day rule

Dashjr announced a soft‑fork upgrade that locks newly mined coins for roughly 45 days, instead of the usual 100‑block lock‑time. He said the change is intended to penalise pool operators that mine without verifying transactions, arguing that miners who do not perform this “job” should not receive payment.

Impact on low‑cost hardware

The rule triggered an initial block download for at least one node operator, requiring a full chain resynchronisation. The operator reported that the 45‑day window would expire before the Raspberry Pi could finish syncing, leading Dashjr to suggest using more powerful hardware.

Community reaction

Critics highlighted a perceived reversal of the fork’s original stance, which argued that cheap hardware should be sufficient to run a full node and that spam‑like data could raise node costs. The recent incident was described as a rapid shift from defending low‑cost nodes to demanding higher‑spec machines.

Future outlook

The fork’s next steps include two remaining components of its plan, which may influence whether miners return to the network. For now, the hardware requirements for running a node on this fork appear stricter than initially promoted.