Bitcoin Core vs Knots and BIP-110.
Essentially, one is a config knob you can turn back. The other removes the knob entirely and replaces it with a locked box you can't open.
With Bitcoin Core's defa...
To understand why Bitcoin Core made this decision, we have to look at how spam actually functions on the network.
First, we need to accept a harsh reality: you cannot completely block spammers. Because spammers can use fake public keys, fake signatures, or hide data inside Taproot leaves, it is mathematically impossible for nodes to filter out this data before it gets mined. Once it’s in a block, it is permanently on the blockchain—there is simply nothing we can do to stop it.
However, this spam causes damage in two distinct areas:
- Block Space Consumption: The physical size of the blockchain grows.
- UTXO Set Bloat: The database of unspent transaction outputs grows, forcing all nodes to keep more data in their active RAM.
While we cannot prevent spammers from consuming block space, we can protect the UTXO set. By encouraging spammers to use OP_RETURN for their data rather than hiding it inside fake public keys, the network gains a massive advantage. While the spam still ends up on the blockchain, using OP_RETURN ensures that the data does not enter the UTXO set. This allows nodes to safely prune it out of their active memory.
Ultimately, Bitcoin Core didn't open this door to encourage spam; they did it to incentivise spammers to use the least harmful method possible, protecting the scalability of the network's data set.
First, we need to accept a harsh reality: you cannot completely block spammers. Because spammers can use fake public keys, fake signatures, or hide data inside Taproot leaves, it is mathematically impossible for nodes to filter out this data before it gets mined. Once it’s in a block, it is permanently on the blockchain—there is simply nothing we can do to stop it.
However, this spam causes damage in two distinct areas:
- Block Space Consumption: The physical size of the blockchain grows.
- UTXO Set Bloat: The database of unspent transaction outputs grows, forcing all nodes to keep more data in their active RAM.
While we cannot prevent spammers from consuming block space, we can protect the UTXO set. By encouraging spammers to use OP_RETURN for their data rather than hiding it inside fake public keys, the network gains a massive advantage. While the spam still ends up on the blockchain, using OP_RETURN ensures that the data does not enter the UTXO set. This allows nodes to safely prune it out of their active memory.
Ultimately, Bitcoin Core didn't open this door to encourage spam; they did it to incentivise spammers to use the least harmful method possible, protecting the scalability of the network's data set.
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