Key Takeaways
- Bitcoin Core will remove the -datacarrier option in October.
- Critics warn this forces non-financial data into all mempools.
- Core devs argue censorship resistance requires this approach.
Bitcoin Core developers have merged pull request #32406, removing the “-datacarrier” option from the software.
The change, expected to roll out in October, will force future Bitcoin Core versions to relay transactions that include non-financial data like images or audio, regardless of user preferences.
Impact on node operators
Previously, node operators could use the “-datacarrier” flag to reject such transactions from their mempools. This option is now deprecated and will soon be unavailable.
Community debate & criticism
The decision follows a growing debate in the Bitcoin community, commonly referred to as the “spam wars.”
Critics, including JAN3 CEO Samson Mow and developer Luke Dashjr, argue the change allows blockchain spam and bloats the network with non-monetary content.
Dashjr said the devs’ expectations that spam will be mined is “defeatism.”
Concerns over fees & decentralization
Opponents also fear rising fees and reduced decentralization.
one user wrote:
It’s Bit’Coin,’ not Bit’Store.
He also warned that excess data on the blockchain may hinder scalability.
Developers’ stance on censorship resistance
Still, developers maintain the change is aligned with Bitcoin’s core principle of censorship resistance. In a June 6 joint statement, 31 developers wrote:
This is not endorsing or condoning non-financial data usage, but accepting that as a censorship-resistant system, Bitcoin can and will be used for use cases not everyone agrees on.
Support & transparency
Supporters like Casa co-founder Jameson Lopp praised the transparency of the devs’ approach, emphasizing user choice in what software to run.
Conclusion & next steps
Despite 93 downvotes on GitHub, the merged change will proceed.
