BITCOIN SEASON 2: Does Bitcoin Core Have An Identity Problem?

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4.7 • 698 Ratings

🗓️ 7 May 2025

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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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. You're listening to Bitcoin Season 2. Subscribe to the newsletter, trusted by over 7,000 Bitcoiners: https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com 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? - 👉 Brought to you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more. - 👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech! Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here. Questions or want to sponsor? hello@blockspace.media See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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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