BITCOIN SEASON 2: Does Bitcoin Core Have An Identity Problem?
CoinDesk Podcast Network
CoinDesk
4.8 • 689 Ratings
🗓️ 7 May 2025
⏱️ 41 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Udi Wertheimer discusses Bitcoin Core's controversial OP_RETURN changes, mounting community backlash, and why Core developers are losing social capital with Bitcoiners over technical decisions they can't properly communicate.
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Udi Wertheimer, co-founder of the Taproot Wizards and famous Bitcoin provocateur, joins us to talk about the explosive OP_RETURN debate dividing the Bitcoin community. We dive deep into why Bitcoin Core developers are facing unprecedented backlash, how they've lost touch with newer Bitcoiners, and what Greg Maxwell's sudden reappearance signals about Core's weakening position. Udi offers surprising insights on both sides and proposes solutions for rebuilding trust between developers and the community.
Follow our guests: @udiwertheimer
**Notes:**
• OP_RETURN controversy spans over a decade
• Greg Maxwell returns after years of silence
• Core devs disconnected from 5+ year Bitcoiners
• ~50 readers engage with Bitcoin OpTech weekly
• 6-month delay suggested for PR merge
• JPEGs benefit from controversy attention
Timestamps:
00:00 Start
03:08 OP_RETURN Debate Summary
10:21 SPAM on Bitcoin
17:17 Is this a Core blunder?
27:26 How SHOULD Core do?
34:42 What if Core doesn't communicate better?
37:38 What does a pleb do?
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Bitcoiners are fighting again. We're fighting about some obscure technical thing, but we might also be |
| 0:06.1 | fighting about a cultural thing. It's actually not super clear. So I brought Udi Wurtimer, |
| 0:11.5 | co-founder of the Tapper Wizards and famous Bitcoin provocateur onto the show to help us explain |
| 0:17.8 | what's happening at a technical level, but then what's really happening at a |
| 0:21.8 | broader cultural level. |
| 0:23.9 | Bitcoin Season 2 is brought to you by Arch Network, the platform building Brideless apps on Bitcoin. |
| 0:29.3 | More on Arch. |
| 0:30.0 | Later on the show, let's kick it off. |
| 0:41.5 | Udi, quick break, quick like update. |
| 0:45.9 | A lot of the listeners here are probably not actually very hardcore bitcoiners, |
| 0:48.0 | so they may not know whether to love or hate you. |
| 0:49.0 | Who are you? |
| 0:55.8 | I think regardless of your tribe, you should always begin with hate, you know? |
| 0:58.4 | Always assume hate. |
| 1:01.6 | Who am I? |
| 1:06.7 | I'm a Bitcoin Maxi-Cult survivor. |
| 1:14.7 | Have been, I don't, middle management roles in the cult for many years. |
| 1:22.1 | Eventually, I decided there's probably more for me in this world. |
| 1:28.4 | You were promoted, like all middle management, you were promoted to your level of incompetence. |
| 1:30.5 | Yeah. |
| 1:43.2 | And start making JPEGs in, in protest of the lack of promotion opportunities. |
| 1:50.6 | And yeah, I think these days I'm mostly known for JPEGs, I guess. |
... |
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