Crucial Debate: Saifedean Ammous Backs Funding to Fight Bitcoin Spam
A significant discussion is unfolding within the Bitcoin community regarding the increasing prevalence of spam on the network, largely attributed to Ordinals and inscriptions. Saifedean Ammous, the renowned author of ‘The Bitcoin Standard,’ has joined this crucial debate, signaling his willingness to financially support efforts to combat this issue. This reflects growing concerns about the network’s intended use and technical strain.
Saifedean Ammous Joins the Bitcoin Spam Debate
Economist and author Saifedean Ammous recently shared his perspective on the ongoing discussion about spam inscriptions impacting the Bitcoin network. Ammous stated he would contribute funds, even “throw in a few sats,” to support a full-time developer dedicated to making Bitcoin spam more difficult and expensive to execute. His comments came in response to a developer advocating for changes to Bitcoin Core that would allow node operators easier ways to filter inscriptions.
The Argument for Filtering Bitcoin Network Spam
The pseudonymous developer GrassFedBitcoin initiated the thread that drew Ammous’s attention. GrassFedBitcoin argued for merging a specific pull request (#28408) into Bitcoin Core. This change would enable node operators to filter inscription data more easily. The developer contended that the current lack of effective filtering tools contributes to unnecessary blockchain bloat and undermines Bitcoin’s primary function as a monetary protocol. According to this view, most node runners do not want to relay inscription data, seeing it as unrelated to Bitcoin’s core purpose.
Challenges and Comparisons: Is Fighting Ordinals an ‘Arms Race’?
Blockstream CEO Adam Back challenged the filtering proposal, likening it to an “arms race.” Back suggested that spam data, especially data embedded using complex code structures, could be constantly modified, requiring continuous updates to filtering mechanisms to keep pace. This perspective highlights the technical challenge of creating static or simple filters against evolving methods of embedding data. Ammous countered this by comparing the situation to email spam, an ongoing battle society fights without abandoning email entirely. He argued that fighting spam is a necessary defense, not censorship, as node operators already reject invalid transactions. He added that removing unwanted spam is a valid action for node runners.
Community Tension and Impact on the Bitcoin Standard
The conversation revealed broader tensions within the Bitcoin community regarding the network’s future and its adherence to the principles outlined in works like ‘The Bitcoin Standard’. Some participants suggested treating developers creating spam methods as unintentional quality assurance testers, proposing to simply unstandardize their deployed techniques. Ammous further suggested actively deprecating the work of these developers and potentially hiring outside coders to overwhelm systems designed for spamming. The debate underscores deep disagreements about whether Bitcoin should be a minimalist monetary layer or accommodate a wider range of data and applications. Reports indicate that the adoption of Ordinals and inscriptions could significantly increase the average block size on the Bitcoin network, potentially pushing it far beyond current levels, adding to concerns about network load and decentralization.
Conclusion: A Funded Fight Against Costly Spam?
The willingness of figures like Saifedean Ammous to financially back developers focused on combating Bitcoin spam highlights the seriousness with which some in the community view the issue of network congestion and bloat caused by inscriptions. While challenges exist, such as the potential for an ‘arms race’ in filtering techniques, the push to make spamming the Bitcoin network more costly and difficult is gaining support. This ongoing debate is crucial for shaping the future technical direction and perceived purpose of the Bitcoin network.
