- Bitcoin Core’s v30 update (Release Candidate 2) proposes to expand the OP_RETURN data field from the default 80-byte cap to potentially nearly 4 megabytes, sparking major controversy.
- Proponents argue that market fees should govern block space usage, while critics fear the expansion will bloat the blockchain, increase node costs, and invite spam/malware.
- Bitcoin pioneer Nick Szabo re-emerged to warn that the larger allowance could heighten legal exposure for node operators if courts view readily accessible illegal content in a contiguous format as a liability risk.
Bitcoin Core developers have issued a second release candidate for the upcoming v30 update, a major revision that could be deployed in late October.
The update removes legacy wallet infrastructure, simplifies command functions, and alters how the network handles non-financial data. The most disputed change expands the OP_RETURN field, lifting the default 80-byte cap and potentially allowing up to nearly 4 megabytes of arbitrary data in a single transaction output.
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Some Counterpoints
Developers backing the proposal argue that users paying transaction fees should be free to use block space as they choose, with market pricing limiting abuse, but critics counter that the expansion will bloat the blockchain, increase storage costs for nodes, and invite spam or malware.
The dispute reignited the old division in the Bitcoin community between those who view the network strictly as a monetary system and those who accept broader use cases. Even Nick Szabo reappeared after five years, warning on X that higher OP_RETURN allowances could heighten legal exposure for node operators.
Szabo said that while fees act as a “spam filter” for miners, they do little to shield nodes, and courts may view readily accessible illegal content as a liability risk.
A counter argument is that illegal content in a contiguous standard format, thus readily viewable by standard software, is more likely to impress lawyers, judges, and jurors, and thus is legally more risky, than data that has been broken up or hidden and thus requires specialized software to reconstruct.
Nick Szabo, Computer ScientistAnd although OP_RETURN data is prunable, its standardised and visible format could make legal challenges more likely compared with hidden or fragmented data, Szabo added.
Such demos would be part of convincing these legal decision-makers that a defendant node operator had knowledge of the content.
Nick Szabo, Computer ScientistTesting of the v30 update continues, with its release date subject to developer debate and resolution of outstanding issues.
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