In a bold move to tackle the contentious issue of spam inscriptions on the Bitcoin network, economist Saifedean Ammous—author of “The Bitcoin Standard”—has offered to financially support a developer dedicated to making such spamming more difficult and costly. This announcement comes amidst a heated debate on how the Bitcoin ecosystem should handle data that many argue bloats the blockchain unnecessarily and detracts from its primary function as a monetary protocol.
The Spam Conundrum
The discussion was sparked by a thread from the pseudonymous developer GrassFedBitcoin, who advocated for the integration of a specific pull request (#28408) into Bitcoin Core. This change would empower node operators to filter inscriptions more efficiently. GrassFedBitcoin argues that the current lack of filtering tools leads to unwanted blockchain bloat. “No one running a node wants to relay inscriptions,” he stated, suggesting that past increases in the OP_RETURN limit were based on flawed premises. He urged for a configurable default policy that discourages using Bitcoin for non-monetary purposes, like storing JPEGs.
However, not everyone is on board. Adam Back, CEO of Blockstream, labeled the proposed filtering as an “arms race,” noting that spam data can be endlessly modified, requiring constant updates to filtering tools. This view highlights the complexity and ongoing nature of the battle against blockchain spam. As explored in our recent coverage of Bitcoin as a matter of national security, the implications of these technical debates extend far beyond the crypto community, touching on broader geopolitical concerns.
A Battle Worth Fighting
Ammous drew parallels between Bitcoin spam and the ubiquitous challenge of email spam—a fight society has not shied away from despite its complexity. “It’s not easy, but it’s worth trying to help bankrupt the spammers faster,” Ammous remarked, emphasizing that combating spam is not equivalent to censorship. He pointed out that node operators already reject invalid transactions, suggesting that filtering out spam is a logical extension of this practice.
The conversation extended to other voices in the Bitcoin community, with some suggesting that Core developers treat spam-coding employees at certain startups as unwitting QA engineers—essentially unstandardizing every trick they deploy. Ammous proposed a more aggressive stance, suggesting the deprecation of spam tool developers’ work and hiring external coders to overwhelm their systems.
The Impact on Bitcoin’s Future
This debate underscores ongoing tensions about Bitcoin’s intended use. With inscriptions continuing to congest the network, calls for technical solutions and critiques of those defending spam are intensifying. According to a February report from Mempool Research, the adoption of inscriptions could potentially inflate the Bitcoin network’s average block size to as much as 4 megabytes per block—well above the current average of 1.5 MB. For a deeper dive into the regulatory implications, see our coverage of the intense debate over crypto legislation in the U.S. Congress.
These discussions are not merely academic; they have real-world implications for Bitcoin’s scalability and functionality as a decentralized monetary system. As the community wrestles with these issues, the decisions made could shape the network’s evolution in the coming years.
Looking Ahead
As we move further into 2025, the question remains: How will the Bitcoin community balance the network’s original monetary intent with the creative and sometimes disruptive uses that continue to emerge? Ammous’s pledge to financially back a developer in this fight against spam inscriptions is a testament to the urgency and complexity of the issue. Yet, whether this approach will gain traction or spur further division is something only time will reveal. For now, the Bitcoin community remains in a state of flux—debating its future even as it builds it.
Source
This article is based on: ‘Bitcoin Standard’ author backs funding dev to make spamming Bitcoin costly
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Steve Gregory is a lawyer in the United States who specializes in licensing for cryptocurrency companies and products. Steve began his career as an attorney in 2015 but made the switch to working in cryptocurrency full time shortly after joining the original team at Gemini Trust Company, an early cryptocurrency exchange based in New York City. Steve then joined CEX.io and was able to launch their regulated US-based cryptocurrency. Steve then went on to become the CEO at currency.com when he ran for four years and was able to lead currency.com to being fully acquired in 2025.
