Bitcoin Core Proposal Sparks Controversy: The Debate Over the Existence of OP_RETURN Data Limitations

Recently, the Bitcoin Core development community has engaged in intense discussions regarding a proposal to remove the data limit on OP_RETURN. This proposal has sparked fierce debate between supporters and opponents, involving multiple aspects such as the technical details of the Bitcoin network, economic incentives, and philosophical concepts.

Background

OP_RETURN is an opcode in the Bitcoin script that allows users to embed a small amount of data in transactions. Currently, Bitcoin Core defaults to limiting the size of OP_RETURN data to 80 bytes, and node policies restrict the propagation of OP_RETURN transactions that exceed 83 bytes.

The developer proposed a suggestion to remove this restriction and delete the related configuration options. This proposal sparked extensive discussions within the community.

Supporter Views

Supporters argue that the current restrictions have become ineffective because users can bypass them in various ways. They point out that some users even use the Bitcoin blockchain as a message board. Supporters also believe that lifting the restrictions may be more compatible with miner incentives, as miners can earn more income by competing for block space.

In addition, supporters have also put forward the following arguments:

1. Return to the early design of Bitcoin, in line with Satoshi Nakamoto's original vision.
2. Reduce the burden of certain protocols (such as inscriptions) on the network.
3. Provide additional income for miners, which helps to maintain network security.
4. Adhere to the principles of liberalism, allowing the market to determine the value of data storage.

Opponents' Viewpoints

Opponents are concerned that removing restrictions could lead to more non-transaction data being written to the blockchain, squeezing block space and driving up transaction fees. They believe that although the current limitations can be circumvented, node strategies still have their role, such as restricting data propagation and reducing the pressure of junk data on the network.

Opponents have also raised the following concerns:

1. The design from the Satoshi Nakamoto era may not necessarily be suitable for the current network environment.
2. Removing restrictions provides limited help in solving certain issues (such as inscriptions).
3. Emphasize user freedom, including the right of node operators to choose whether to propagate specific data.
4. Criticizing the removal of configuration options may limit user choices.

Technical Details

The discussion involved some technical details of the Bitcoin network:

1. The behavior of OP_RETURN (terminating script execution and marking output as unspendable) is part of Bitcoin's consensus rules.
2. The restriction on the size of data attached to OP_RETURN is a node policy, not a consensus rule.
3. Nodes can implement their own strategies in transaction propagation and data storage.

Potential Impact

The approval of the proposal may bring about the following impacts:

Positive: May increase miner income and support the development of Bitcoin ecosystem projects. Negative: It may crowd out block space for ordinary Bitcoin users.

The miners' attitude is still unclear; on one hand, the intensified competition for block space may increase revenue, while on the other hand, it may affect certain service advantages of mining pools.

Conclusion

This discussion reflects the differences within the Bitcoin community regarding technological development, economic incentives, and philosophical ideas. Regardless of the final outcome, this discussion contributes to the ongoing evolution and improvement of the Bitcoin network. Users and developers need to weigh various factors to make choices for the future development of Bitcoin.