Bitcoin Core Dev Plans to Increase OP_Return Limit to 4MB, Bitcoin Maxis Not in Favor

Key Takeaways

• Bitcoin core team plans to remove the OP_Return 80-byte limit and increase it to 4 MB.
• The decision hasn’t gone well, with most Bitcoin proponents believing it will flood the network with spam.
• Bitcoin proponents called for using alternative Bitcoin clients such as Knots.

Bitcoin core devs are all set to increase the data limit of the OP_Return function from the current 80 bytes to 4 megabytes, which is creating an uproar among Bitcoin maximalists.

The OP_RETURN function is a standard locking script that stores data inside transactions. It’s a special part of a Bitcoin transaction where users can attach custom data to their transactions.

Bitcoin Core v30 to Remove OP_Return Limit

The Bitcoin Core team announced that they will likely remove the OP_RETURN limit in their next release, which is scheduled for October later this year.

Peter Todd supports the proposal, which wants nodes to relay pending transactions with large quantities of non-financial data. On the other hand, Samson Mow and Luke Dashjr argue that the proposed changes betray Bitcoin’s purpose as money.

The next Bitcoin Core update, v30’s default mempool, will no longer filter OP_RETURN outputs exceeding 80 bytes. While users can manually override settings, devs know most nodes run defaults, making this a de facto network change.

The supporters of increasing the limit believe Bitcoin, like most other networks, should expand its usability beyond simple transactions. 

The Bitcoin absolutists believe the network’s true purpose is to become a decentralized and borderless financial system, and increasing the transaction data limit will obstruct that principle.

The current 80-byte data limit allows one sentence to be stored as a hash or a short identifier. Thus, the data limit is enough for proofs but too small for anything complex.

Bitcoin Maxi Call For Opting Out of Bitcoin Core Update

Bitcoin proponents believe increasing the size of OP_Return might lead to spamming and congested the Bitcoin network. The majority of Bitcoin proponents believe the upcoming update would end the Bitcoin network as we know it and make it more like a “shitcoin.”

Mow propagated the decision for node operators to continue using the V 29.0 version or run another implementation like Bitcoin Knots.

Another prominent figure, Leo, called the proposed update malicious, suggesting the change will make the Bitcoin chain quite similar to shitcoins on the chain. 

A few also pointed out that the decision to implement the controversial size consisted of 31 core developers (out of hundreds), a few mining companies, and some taproot wizards.

Bitcoin Knots is a full Bitcoin client and builds the network’s backbone. It offers high levels of security, privacy, and stability. It includes more advanced features than Bitcoin Core but is not as well-tested.

The controversy around the core update has pushed many Bitcoin proponents to move towards alternative Bitcoin core clients such as Knots. Since Bitcoin Core’s OP_RETURN fiasco, Bitcoin Knots has surged from 2% to 11% of nodes.