The history of Bitcoin has been written for over 15 years, and as time goes on, long-forgotten stories, disputes thought to have already been resolved, and eternal mysteries emerge, but the leading cryptocurrency is somewhat a symbol of this mystery and immutability. Cryptocurrency, considered by many to be just a speculative instrument, extends only to the exchange rate and ETFs, but at the same time many people forget about the network and infrastructure, even if it is also fantastic from a technological point of view.
However, the NFTs, runes, and inscriptions that have appeared in recent years have undermined Bitcoin’s original state, and a demonstration by a Slovak developer resurfaced the debate between conservative Bitcoin maximalists and the opposing camp: what can Bitcoin be used for?
An image that did not follow the usual path
Martin Habovštiak, maintainer of the Rust Bitcoin library, posted a 66 kilobyte TIFF image file to the Bitcoin blockchain – in a single, coherent transaction. The raw hex data from the transaction can be decoded and results in an image that can be opened with standard image software. The image is none other than Luke Dashjr, the developer of Bitcoin Knots.
The demonstration was widely criticized as Habovštiak claims he did not use the tools that seek to limit the controversial Bitcoin Knots and the related BIP-110. There is no OP_RETURN in the transaction, it does not build on Taproot (it uses SegWit v0) and there is no OP_IF structure. However, the BIP-110 proposal type would close such technical “loopholes” in the context of a temporary soft fork (modification solution).
Dashjr disputed that the image was actually stored “contiguously” on the blockchain, meaning it could be restored in one go without interruption. However, because the transaction is public and can be verified by anyone, the issue has become not a matter of faith but a claim that can be technically investigated. The conflict therefore goes beyond a single image: it is about the extent to which the options for using the Bitcoin network can – or should – be limited.
That’s really what the BIP-110 is all about
The BIP-110 – formerly known as the BIP-444 – suggests a temporary soft fork of one year. Its purpose is to limit OP_RETURN output to 83 bytes, the 256 byte ceiling for individual data pushes, and to restrict certain script options. According to the proposal’s proponents, arbitrary data inclusion is “spam” that could pose a legal risk to node operators and distract Bitcoin from its original, financial function.
About 8-9% of the network currently has nodes that support BIP-110 solely through the Bitcoin Knots implementation. Although support is in the minority, it is growing.
Habovštiak also created a BIP-110 compliant version of the transaction, which according to his own statement was larger than the original. He wanted to demonstrate that limitations can paradoxically result in even more data on the blockchain.
“There’s one thing I hate more than spam: falsehoods.”
– Martin Habovštiak on his X interface
The developer emphasized that this is a one-time demonstration and that he will not publish the code so as not to trigger a new wave of NFTs.
More than a technical discussion
The conflict is really about who will determine the future of Bitcoin: those who defend a strictly financial function, or those who believe that the protocol is neutral and that the market determines what it is used for. The current case has shown that technical limitations can be circumvented – at least to some extent.
The coming months could decide whether a critical mass will rally behind BIP-110, or whether Bitcoin will remain open to any data that someone is willing to pay transaction fees for. A 66 kbyte image therefore raised much bigger questions than it seemed at first glance.
#change #Bitcoins #original #protocol #photo