Satoshi comments on arbitrary data shows how old the OP_RETURN debate is

The Bitcoin assemblage is divided implicit Bitcoin Core developers’ determination to region a bounds connected arbitrary information stored successful transactions, a determination that traces backmost to a statement archetypal raised by Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto successful 2010.

Bitcoin Core v30’s expected merchandise adjacent period volition remove the 80-byte headdress connected OP_RETURN, an opcode utilized for redeeming arbitrary information (any non-financial data) onchain. The determination has proved controversial, with immoderate accusing developers of bowing to firm power and others arguing that arbitrary information retention is extracurricular Bitcoin’s intended scope.

However, this statement is overmuch older than OP_RETURN itself, which was introduced successful Bitcoin Core 0.9.0 successful March 2014. Back successful 2010, erstwhile Bitcoin (BTC) was hardly a twelvemonth old, the protocol’s pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, sparked the aforesaid debate by introducing checks to guarantee that transaction information complied with the intended standards.

Satoshi’s station connected Bitcoin Forum. Source: Bitcoin Forum

The prime to bounds the retention of arbitrary information onchain is instantly controversial. “Why connected Earth would immoderate miner follow this change, erstwhile it means that they volition beryllium getting less transaction fees owed to the mislaid non-standard transactions?” 1 idiosyncratic asked.

Related: Jimmy Song slams Bitcoin Core devs for ‘fiat’ mentality connected OP_Return

Governing with incentives

Bitcoin is simply a decentralized web with nary cardinal authorization capable to enforce its rules, which complicates enforcement.

If miners person a fiscal inducement to let something, specified arsenic the inclusion of non-financial information onchain, they are apt to set the parameters of their bundle successful a mode that enables it. This was the lawsuit backmost then, too, with aggregate miners announcing that they would let non-standard transactions with arbitrary data.

One idiosyncratic suggested allowing non-standard transactions up to 128 bytes, but Bitcoin Core developer Jeff Garzik said that attempting to enforce specified limits would marque small sense:

“It seems pointless for the authoritative Bitcoin lawsuit to effort to ‘legislate’ immoderate restrictions of this benignant erstwhile each miners person an involvement successful including immoderate and each fee-carrying transactions.“

Related: Bitcoin Core default minimum relay fees alteration 90% arsenic update rolls out

Accepting the inevitable

Users besides rapidly released a spot for Bitcoin Core’s latest mentation that did not see checks to guarantee transactions travel established standards. Early Bitcoiner Christian Decker recognized that this was an important infinitesimal for Bitcoin’s community:

“I conjecture we person the archetypal authoritative merchandise that is disputed by the bulk of computation power, Bitcoin’s coming disconnected age.”

As suggested by immoderate commenters backmost successful 2010, it is hard to guarantee that miners enforce a regularisation that goes against their ain inducement to see fee-paying transactions. A January 2024 review showed miners similar F2Pool were already including non-standard transactions that exceeded OP_RETURN limits.

The OP_RETURN statement is besides occurring successful a antithetic situation than the archetypal arbitrary information debate, 1 successful which firm interests are pressuring developers to let for much onchain information storage. The crushed is that storing specified information enables the improvement of Bitcoin-based systems, specified arsenic layer-2 networks and others.

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