Bitcoin Core Developers Split Over BIP-110 Proposal Limiting Data Payloads

The Bitcoin Core development cycle is currently embroiled in controversy over the BIP-110 proposal, which seeks to limit data payloads to protect node resources from storage costs. The debate, reminiscent of Satoshi Nakamoto's initial defense of his code on Bitcointalk in 2010, has reignited old tensions between those who view Bitcoin as a neutral payment system and those who want to manage block space usage.

The proposal, written by Dathon Ohm with technical advice from Luke Dashjr, would limit most new scriptPubKeys to 34 bytes and block spending through undefined witness or Tapleaf versions. Critics argue that this changes rules to suppress specific users, while supporters claim it protects nodes.

The Bitcoin Core team has launched a sponsorship programme to fund the reference client through direct industry contributions, following the failed attempt by the Bitcoin Foundation in 2012 to provide an official voice and fund development. This programme allows companies to propose projects for peer review, with developers deciding whether the research meets the goals of the system.