#CORE

Bitcoin Core releases a basic statement

Bitcoin Core developers recently reiterated the core philosophy of the project in a statement, including user autonomy in trading strategies and the role of software in the Bitcoin ecosystem. The statement emphasized the decentralized structure of Bitcoin and reaffirmed that ultimately it is the users (rather than developers or organizations) who decide how the cryptocurrency operates.

At the heart of the statement is Bitcoin Core's ongoing opposition to mandatory or automatic software updates. To ensure that no central entity can unilaterally change node behavior, the developers reiterated their long-standing policy of avoiding the use of auto-update mechanisms. This stance upholds the decentralization of the network and gives users the power to choose their own software and policies.

In addition, the Bitcoin Core team explained its stance on transaction relay policies. Although the software has denial of service (DoS) and spam filters, the developers clearly stated that reliable mining and economically meaningful transactions should not be blocked. They claimed that censoring transactions that should have been included in blocks would force users to use other communication channels, thereby undermining transparency and decentralization.

In contrast, Bitcoin Core advocates for moderate and pragmatic spam filtering, attempting to reflect the content that may be mined. To maintain the competitive neutrality of mining, this strategy ensures faster block propagation speeds, better miner participation, and more accurate fee estimation. Regarding non-monetary applications of the Bitcoin blockchain, such as inscriptions and other data payloads, the statement is cautiously worded: it acknowledges that censorship-resistant systems will inevitably be used in ways that are not universally accepted, but it neither supports nor condemns such applications.

Finally, the developers reiterated their commitment to the long-term viability of Bitcoin and announced that choices would be made based on reasonable miner incentives, network efficiency, and upgrade security. Bitcoin will always be a tool for users, not a product controlled by its maintainers; this assertion is both a technical principle and a philosophical commitment.