
Bitcoin Core has recently issued a fundamental statement reiterating the core principles of the network and emphasizing its commitment to ensuring user safety and freedom. This move serves as a reaffirmation of Bitcoin’s decentralized structure, which underscores that users, not developers or organizations, ultimately determine how the cryptocurrency functions.
The statement highlights Bitcoin Core’s ongoing opposition to mandatory software updates. To guarantee that no central entity can unilaterally change node behavior, the team reiterates its long-standing policy of avoiding auto-update mechanisms. This stance safeguards decentralization and grants users the autonomy to choose their own software and policies.
In addition, the statement addresses transaction relay policy. Although Bitcoin Core’s software features denial-of-service (DoS) and spam filters, it emphasizes that reliably mined and economically significant transactions should not be blocked. The team argues that censoring transactions that would otherwise be part of blocks forces users into alternative communication channels, undermining transparency and decentralization. Instead, Bitcoin Core promotes moderate and realistic spam filtering that aims to represent what is likely to be mined. This approach ensures faster block propagation, better miner inclusion, and more accurate fee estimation.
Finally, the developers emphasize their commitment to upholding the long-term viability of Bitcoin, stating that choices will be made in accordance with reasonable miner incentives, network efficiency, and upgrade safety.
The statement concludes by serving as both a technical guideline and a philosophical pledge, solidifying Bitcoin’s position as a tool for users rather than a product under the control of its maintainers.
Source: u.today