- Bitcoin Core developers will not auto-update software, and users must choose what to run.
- The relay system will allow fee-based transactions even if they are non-financial in purpose.
- Leaders in crypto are split, with Mow criticizing and Lopp backing the statement strongly.
A new statement from 31 Bitcoin Core developers has sparked global debate over the network’s direction and handling of non-monetary transactions. The developers reaffirmed that users should have full control over their Bitcoin software and policy decisions without external enforcement. They also firmly rejected automatic updates, stating Bitcoin Core will never force users to run any new version unwillingly. The update, posted on Bitcoin Core, called for preserving decentralization and preventing central control over node behavior.
Developers Clarify Transaction Relay Goals
The statement clarified the purpose of Bitcoin’s transaction relay system and its role in network decentralization and reliability. It noted that developers aim to support transactions with clear economic demand, regardless of their content or use case. Relay policies may involve denial-of-service protection and fee assessment, but will not reject valid, fee-based transactions.
According to the developers, the relay system helps estimate which transactions miners are likely to include in blocks. This aids fee estimation and also supports techniques like fee bumping, making the network more efficient for users. Additionally, accelerating block propagation reduces latency and minimizes the risk of large miners gaining unfair mining advantages.
Furthermore, the developers stated that helping miners access fee-paying transactions prevents reliance on private communication channels. This ensures miners receive transaction data through the public network, not exclusive submission schemes that weaken decentralization. They warned that blocking such transactions would drive users into alternate channels, harming Bitcoin’s peer-to-peer nature.
Related: Uber Plans to Adopt Bitcoin and Stablecoins as A New Payment Solution
Industry Divides Over Policy and Spam Risks
JAN3 CEO Samson Mow criticized the joint letter and accused the developers of enabling spam by changing prior relay policies. Mow stated, “It’s disingenuous to just say, ‘It is what it is now, too bad.” He described the tone of the letter as inappropriate, questioning the decision to exempt data-heavy activities from restrictions. “Bitcoin Core devs have been changing the network gradually to enable spam and now seem focused on also removing barriers for spammers,” Mow said. “This statement itself is also inappropriate,” he continued.
Meanwhile, Casa co-founder Jameson Lopp defended the message and praised the developers for presenting a unified and transparent statement. Lopp said, “Core Devs are a group saying we can’t force anyone to run code they don’t like; here is our thinking on relay policy and network health.” He added that earlier accusations of poor communication forced developers to share their perspective collectively and clearly this time.
Some users pointed to the May 8 network upgrade that removed limits on data size as enabling non-financial use cases. They felt the May 8 changes, combined with the relay policy, would stand for inscriptions and other forms of data. However, it was mentioned that the statement stressed neutrality: “Bitcoin is censorship-resistant, and it will attract use cases people may not like.”
Bitcoin Core’s last message draws a clear boundary and preaches that user control should stay intact, forced updates are off-limits, and transactions with real faces stay valid. As the debate continues, developers remain firm in their responsibility to support Bitcoin as a decentralized currency, without judging how users choose to interact with it.
