Podcasts/The Bitcoin Nova Podcast/Understanding Bitcoin Core’s Controversial Policy Change

Understanding Bitcoin Core’s Controversial Policy Change

July 16, 2026·1h 20m·w/ Michael "Schnitzel" Schmid

Show Notes

One of my biggest takeaways was admitting that I got something wrong.

I believe Bitcoin Core’s decision to quickly reject Luke Dashjr’s proposal while simultaneously changing the default policy limit primarily benefited the largest miners and squeezed out smaller ones.

Michael explained that the intent was actually the opposite. The concern was that Bitcoin’s relay policy had drifted away from Bitcoin’s consensus rules, creating situations where larger miners could gain an advantage. The policy change was intended to bring those back into alignment.

Whether you agree with that reasoning or not, I think it’s important to understand why the change was made before forming an opinion.

We also discuss why this became so controversial. The timing of the funding announcement involving Brink/Epstein, combined with the policy change, led many people to question incentives. Add in poor communication, a perceived “trust us” attitude from Core , snowballed into the polarization that we see today.

If nothing else, I hope this episode helps people better understand the arguments from both sides so we can have a more informed conversation.

Verify for Yourself:

Miner Signaling: https://wickedsmartbitcoin.com/bip110_signaling

Node Signaling: https://bitnod.es/index.php

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