Veteran Bitcoin developer Luke Dashjr has become a leading critic of proposals to expand the kinds of data the Bitcoin blockchain can carry. The debate accelerated after the advent of the Ordinals protocol in 2023 and the appearance of Runes a year later, which together prompted renewed calls to loosen limits on transaction-attached data. This discussion is included in CoinDesk's Most Influential 2025 feature and centers on whether Bitcoin should host more non-financial content.
Quick summary
The core issue is a proposal to remove the 80-byte cap on data attached to transactions via what the coverage calls "inscriptions." Proponents say larger data slots enable new protocols and token types on Bitcoin, while opponents argue the change shifts the blockchain's focus away from payments. Luke Dashjr stands out among critics, using his status as a veteran developer and maintainer of Bitcoin Knots to argue against loosening data restrictions.
Who is Luke Dashjr?
Luke Dashjr is described in the coverage as a "Veteran Bitcoin developer" and a prominent commentator on technical and policy debates. His resume includes helping fix Bitcoin's accidental hard fork in 2013, and he maintains the alternative client Bitcoin Knots, which reinforces his standing in developer circles. That background is a frequent reason his views carry weight in discussions about protocol changes.
Timeline: Ordinals and Runes
The article notes the advent of the Ordinals protocol in 2023, which allowed a form of NFTs to be created on Bitcoin, and that Runes arrived "a year later" with similar effects for fungible tokens. Together, these developments prompted debate over whether Bitcoin should accommodate growing volumes of non-financial data. For further reading on Ordinals-related developments, see Ordinals buyback program coverage referenced by prior reporting.
The OP_RETURN change and the 80-byte cap
The specific technical proposal discussed would remove the longstanding 80-byte cap on data that can be attached to transactions, enabling larger payloads labeled in the reporting as "inscriptions." Supporters view this as a way to enable richer applications on Bitcoin, while critics see it as a fundamental shift in how the chain is used. That tension over scope and purpose is central to the current controversy.
Dashjr's objections and notable quotes
Dashjr has been clear and forceful in his opposition, calling the proposal "utter insanity," and warning that loosening data restrictions would clog up the network with what he calls "spam." He also argued such changes would detract Bitcoin from its "core purpose as decentralized digital money," a phrase quoted directly in the coverage. Those remarks frame his technical objections in terms of network health and the project's primary purpose.
Ocean mining pool's stance
Ocean, described in the article as the Jack Dorsey-backed mining pool that Dashjr helped found, has taken operational steps reflecting the debate by declining to process some inscription transactions. That choice is presented as an example of how miners and pools can exercise discretion over which transactions they include. Ocean's position illustrates that resistance to inscriptions exists not only in words but also in mining practice.
Implications and outlook
The coverage records that Dashjr's critics argue his vision would require compromising Bitcoin's principle of immutability, highlighting an unresolved trade-off between openness to new data uses and preserving existing guarantees. It also projects that these debates will continue "into 2026 and beyond," and that Luke Dashjr will likely remain a prominent voice in them. The dispute therefore looks set to shape community and technical discussions for the foreseeable future; see related analysis of Bitcoin's broader cycles in four-year cycle reporting.
Почему это важно
Если вы майните от одного до тысячи устройств в России, эта дискуссия влияет на правила включения транзакций и на поведение майнинг-пулов. Варианты изменения OP_RETURN напрямую касаются того, какие транзакции пулы будут считать приоритетными, а отказ некоторых пулов обрабатывать «inscriptions» уже показал практическую значимость выбора операторов. Даже если нагрузка сети не изменится мгновенно, решение сообщества определит, какие типы данных и активности будут проще отправлять и подтверждать в будущем.
Что делать?
- Следить за решениями пулов: проверяйте политику своего пула на предмет обработки inscription-транзакций и готовьте резервные планы переключения, если приоритеты изменятся.
- Оценить операционные риски: учитывайте возможные изменения в комиссии и очередях транзакций при выборе времени и объёма отправки операций.
- Поддерживать информированность: читайте обновления от разработчиков клиента (включая Bitcoin Knots) и материалы по OP_RETURN, чтобы понимать, какие технические изменения обсуждаются.
