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A cryptocurrency analyst and Bitcoin (BTC) maximalist, Knut Svanholm, has criticized Bitcoin Core v30.0’s expansion of the OP_RETURN limit to 100,000 bytes for multiple outputs per transaction. Svanholm argues the move will enable "shitcoining" like crowdfunding and staking on Bitcoin’s layer 1 and increase costs for peer-to-peer transfers.
Bitcoin maximalists warn against diluting Bitcoin’s core mission
Notably, the Bitcoin Core v3.0 introduces technical changes, removing the 80-byte limit and reducing relay fees. The changes will make it easier and cheaper to store data, build metaprotocols and execute more complex applications.
These kinds of developments are typically done on other chains like Ethereum. Although some developers consider this a technical enhancement, Bitcoin purists like Svanholm view it as an ideological threat.
He specifically referred to developers like Electron Arc-20 who are celebrating the development. Svanholm maintained that the functions are non-Bitcoin-native features that resemble altcoin — "shitcoin" — behavior.
The Bitcoin maximalist believes that using Bitcoin for speculative or nonessential purposes dilutes its core mission. He insists that the primary intended use case of Bitcoin should be for sending and receiving sats privately and cheaply. Svanholm says everything else, such as DeFi, staking, crowdfunding and NFTs, is all abuse cases that clutter the network and increase transaction costs.
He called on users in the ecosystem to resist and reject Bitcoin Core v30, a new take on the controversial stance in the community. He suggested that users switch to Bitcoin Knots, an alternative implementation that does not include these changes that have caused controversy.
According to him, this is the only way to keep the Blockchain pure and prevent pollution of the ecosystem. "The shitcoiners are running out of gullible morons to scam... now they have to find new fools in the Bitcoin space," he stated.
Developers divided as community debate on Core v30 intensifies
Knut Svanholm is not alone in this opinion. Recently, Luke Dashjr, a prominent developer famous for his work on Bitcoin Knots, also kicked against the move. Dashjr considers running Core v30 as an endorsement of child sexual abuse materials, a claim that makes many ponder whether the community will ever unite in its ideologies.
However, a pro-Core v30 developer, Jimmy Song, does not agree that running the software poses an existential threat to the asset. Song insists that there will always be bad actors who could leverage some features, but it will not kill Bitcoin.
While the debate rages, the Bitcoin community was recently stunned when five sequential blocks were mined on the blockchain within 20 minutes. The four-minute average time puzzled many.
Dan Burgin
Vladislav Sopov
U.Today Editorial Team