Bitcoin is named a censorship-resistant community. Usually, this attribute is introduced as one in every of its primary promoting factors. The Bitcoin dev neighborhood is stirred with a heated debate over the approaching elimination of a spam filter that limits non-monetary knowledge to 83 bytes per block. Opponents declare it would permit the posting of kid porn on-chain, successfully making Bitcoin unlawful in most jurisdictions.
Abstract
- “Spam wars” intensify: increasingly folks swap from Bitcoin Core to Bitcoin Knots, warning that the Bitcoin blockchain could flip into a house for little one pornography.
- The issue with CP was introduced up years in the past, earlier than the streamlined plans to take away the spam filter, so the difficulty was dismissed again then.
- Proponents of the change cite new talents as the explanations to implement v30; it will open new alternatives: folks will be capable to retailer new forms of knowledge on-chain, whereas opponents would be capable to use a distinct model of Bitcoin Core or different node software program.
Bitcoin Core vs. Bitcoin Knots
Blockchain knowledge is monitored and verified by the nodes. Every block could include as much as 83 bytes for non-monetary knowledge (as an example, pictures). This chance is feasible through an OP_RETURN script. Some name it a spam filter as they consider it helps the Bitcoin community (BTC) for use exactly for financial transactions. OP_RETURN prevents the community from getting flooded with arbitrary knowledge (non-monetary knowledge). Spam filter elimination opponents say the change could lead to community congestion.
Nevertheless, some builders are advocating for the elimination of a spam filter, thus increasing the arbitrary knowledge restrict to round 2 megabytes per block. The explanation for this modification, cited by these builders, is dismantling restrictions and censorship. It opens gates for varied use circumstances like sharing JPEG recordsdata, movies, paperwork, and so forth.
I really detest politics.
Thus I’ve little endurance for individuals who attempt to impose conventional governance fashions onto Bitcoin.
If you happen to don’t love anarchy, you are free to go away.
— Jameson Lopp (@lopp) August 26, 2025
A extra technical excuse is that pictures and different non-monetary knowledge have already got a spot on the Bitcoin blockchain. Such knowledge is posted as endlessly unspent transaction outputs, making the blockchain bloated and decreasing the transaction pace. The proposal geared toward eradicating the arbitrary knowledge limits was launched by Peter Todd earlier this yr.
Bitcoin Meditations Collection
1.
Satoshi Requested Core & Knots:
My youngsters, how does Bitcoin final an Eternity?Core stated: by changing into Many Issues!
Knots stated: by refusing to be anything… pic.twitter.com/FdfssMOroR
— Zatoichi🌊 (@Zatoichi42) August 24, 2025
The proponents of the spam filter elimination are the neighborhood behind the Bitcoin Core software program, the oldest and hottest node program. They achieved consensus, so the Bitcoin Core model 30 that will increase the OP_RETURN area as much as all the block is scheduled to be launched in October 2025. Given that almost all of blocks are verified utilizing Bitcoin Core software program, after the October replace, the Bitcoin community will in all probability get a lot arbitrary knowledge on it. Those that oppose the filter remover principally use Bitcoin Knots nodes.
A touch upon whether or not this course of was “rushed”.
As somebody who has each authored and merged mempool coverage adjustments for the final 4 years, I’d say that is par for the course.
– The unique PR was mentioned round 2 years in the past (after all, echoing arguments that have been made 10 years…
— gloria (@glozow) June 9, 2025
Whereas the controversy endured and lots of of these utilizing Bitcoin Core determined to transition to Bitcoin Knots, the elimination of the spam filter was accepted and scheduled for October 2025. The proponents of the spam filter elimination say that these not happy with an replace can use an outdated model of the software program or swap to a distinct one.
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The fallout of the controversy acquired private and fairly aggressive. In some unspecified time in the future, private assaults on X made one of many principal Bitcoin Core devs, Gloria Zhao, quickly delete her account. Some critics accused Bitcoin Core devs of serving the pursuits of Citrea, a zero-knowledge Layer 2 rollup protocol, permitting the usage of Ethereum-like features on the Bitcoin blockchain. One of many Bitcoin devs, Bitcoin Mechanic, claims he was blocked on GitHub after criticizing Bitcoin Core’s plans.
Somebody pushing for a serious change to Bitcoin is affiliated with an organization whose present exploit of Bitcoin was the motivation for the change.
Pointing this out on the github dialogue has resulted in me being banned. https://t.co/VAaNByBE5o pic.twitter.com/5yYXgtWAti
— Mechanic #FixTheFilters #300kb (@GrassFedBitcoin) April 28, 2025
The explanation for such a harsh pushback in opposition to Peter Todd’s proposal is that Bitcoin Core is a really influential software program. On the time the proposal was made, it was liable for round 99% of all of the Bitcoin blockchain knowledge. Because the battle continued, over 15% of the Bitcoin Core neighborhood opted out to develop into Bitcoin Knots runners.
Unlawful content material concern
It was Bitcoin Mechanic who reignited the controversy on Aug. 31, when posting an hour-long video on his YouTube channel and on X. Within the video, he claimed that the spam filter elimination will draw “unexpected penalties,” which means that content material like little one pornography can seem on the Bitcoin blockchain following the Bitcoin Core v30 replace in October. Bitcoin Core supporters cite different blockchains with out spam filters as proof that little one pornography isn’t going to infiltrate the blockchain.
On condition that Bitcoin’s ledger is immutable and censorship-resistant, it would imply that the unlawful content material will stick round there endlessly, turning Bitcoin right into a storage of unlawful content material. In contrast to financial knowledge, whether or not it was concerned in promoting unlawful stuff or not, is impartial, in response to Bitcoin Mechanic, arbitrary knowledge itself could become “one thing you simply discriminate in opposition to, relying on what it comprises.”
Bitcoin Mechanic admits that the “disgusting content material” was already uploaded on the Bitcoin blockchain in 2013. It has the type of an inscription. Nevertheless, he says, the present construction permits bitcoiners to keep away from any reference to this knowledge by not utilizing inscriptions. In distinction, the unlawful content material that doubtlessly might be uploaded after the Bitcoin Core replace will likely be obtainable not in a hex kind.
“Why would anybody need to retailer little one pr0n within the blockchain”?
As a result of getting different folks to retailer it for you is vastly preferable to storing or internet hosting it your self. Significantly if the storage medium is extensively distributed amongst folks in any other case engaged in a morally defensible…
— Mechanic #FixTheFilters #300kb (@GrassFedBitcoin) August 31, 2025
The subject of Bitcoin and little one pornography isn’t new. It was extensively coated in 2017. At the moment, the spam filter labored nicely, so alarmists needed to admit they weren’t proper. However right now we’re having a distinct downside, as the information per block is rising. They are saying nations and international locations could choose to ban Bitcoin altogether, as working a node would develop into equal to storing illicit content material in your pc. Legally, this concern requires specialists’ analysis, whereas morally, it’s already seen as unacceptable by some within the Bitcoin neighborhood.
Core will fake they didn’t see this video.
With Core’s adjustments, Bitcoin dangers being exploited to retailer unlawful materials (like CP).
That provides governments the right excuse to outlaw Bitcoin or make working a node unlawful.
Core devs @glozow –
Your selections decide if… https://t.co/pTMgabnddW— Joyce (@BitcoinWifey) September 1, 2025
Such a heated battle is nothing new for the Bitcoin area, as this technique is decentralized and community-driven. Historical past has already seen the clashes over block measurement and inclusion of ordinals. Because the Bitcoin Core replace is imminent, we’ll find out how large the issue is within the following months.
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