Key Points
- The Bitcoin community is divided over the proposal to remove the 80-byte limit on OP_Return.
- While some see it as an efficiency upgrade, others view it as a potential ‘spam’ risk.
The Bitcoin community is currently engaged in a heated debate over the removal of the 80-byte limit on OP_Return. This change would allow for the addition of more arbitrary data on the blockchain, such as messages and images.
Jason Hughes, the VP of engineering at Ocean Mining, a company focused on Bitcoin, is among those who strongly oppose the proposal. He believes it could turn Bitcoin into a “worthless altcoin.”
OP_Return Controversy
Hughes and others who share his viewpoint have labeled the proposed change as an ‘attack on the network’ and warned that it could lead to the ‘death’ of Bitcoin.
On a separate mailing list discussing the same issue, Luke Dash Junior, a Bitcoin core developer and network purist, described the change as ‘utter insanity.’ Dash, like Hughes, has long viewed the addition of Bitcoin Ordinals and other arbitrary data to the network as an ‘attack’ and ‘spam.’
The current OP_Return allows for 80 bytes of data, including messages and other metadata. Some see this feature as crucial for sidechains, thereby enhancing efficiency and cleaning the Bitcoin base layer.
Opponents argue that the 80-byte limit was put in place to prevent harmful data from entering the Bitcoin network. They fear that increasing the size might increase ‘spam.’
Efficiency vs Spam
Peter Todd, an OP_Return supporter, however, highlighted the efficiency benefits of the proposal. He noted that some entities are using unspendable outputs instead of OP_Return outputs due to the size limit, which unnecessarily increases the UTXO set size.
In essence, some projects have found a workaround on OP_Return to accommodate more data, which consumes more space and slows down Bitcoin. According to supporters of the proposal, removing the limit on OP_Return would solve this problem.
OP_Return is quite similar to the deactivated OP_CAT, and some individuals are advocating for its reactivation to boost Bitcoin usage.
The Bitcoin community’s final decision on the proposal remains unknown. Despite the ongoing controversy, the value of Bitcoin (BTC) remains unaffected, currently standing at $94.6K.
