According to Cointelegraph, a forthcoming Bitcoin software update is set to significantly increase the data capacity on the blockchain, sparking debate within the community. The Bitcoin Core 30 update, scheduled for release on October 30, will remove the existing 80-byte limit on the OP_RETURN function, allowing each output to carry up to 4 megabytes of data. This change was announced by Bitcoin Core developer Gloria Zhao on GitHub, following a statement signed by 31 Bitcoin Core developers supporting the modification, known as merged pull request (MPR) #32406. The decision to remove the data limit was initially indicated by developers on May 5.
The OP_RETURN function gained attention last year during the Ordinals craze, enabling users to store various types of data on the Bitcoin blockchain, from non-fungible token-like collections to historical documents like the Afghan war logs published by WikiLeaks in 2010. However, the proposed change has stirred controversy among conservative members of the Bitcoin community, who argue that non-financial data could clutter the blockchain with unnecessary information, detracting from its primary purpose of facilitating peer-to-peer Bitcoin (BTC) transactions. Alexander Lin, co-founder of crypto investment firm Reforge, expressed concerns on social media platform X, labeling the data limit expansion as a "terrible mistake" and warning that it could increase systemic risks to Bitcoin's core property as sound money.
Despite the opposition, some Bitcoiners, including Peter Todd, the lead author of the proposal, advocate for the increased data limit, suggesting it could broaden Bitcoin's applications beyond financial transactions. In a GitHub statement, Zhao emphasized the developers' preference for a hands-off approach, allowing users to decide how they utilize the blockchain: "Demanding that Bitcoin Core prevent certain transactions from being mined reflects a misunderstanding of the relationship between open source software users and developers." However, the decision has led to dissatisfaction among several Bitcoiners, including Dennis Porter, CEO of the Satoshi Action Fund, who expressed disappointment and announced he would cease supporting Bitcoin Core development.
The controversy has also impacted Bitcoin Core's market share. Since the introduction of MPR #32406 on April 28, Bitcoin Core's dominance in the market share of Bitcoin nodes has decreased from approximately 98% to just over 88%, according to data shared by a pseudonymous Bitcoiner on X. The Bitcoin Knots client has gained nearly all of the lost market share, now accounting for 11.48%, as reported by coin.dance data. Bitcoin commentator Matthew R. Kratter warned that the decision to increase the data limit could pose long-term challenges for Bitcoin Core, potentially reducing its dominance to the 20-30% range within the next one to three years.
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