CEO of Blockstream, Adam Back, has criticized BIP-110, which aims to combat “spam” on the Bitcoin network. He described the initiative as a threat to the reputation of the first cryptocurrency.
it’s worse as it is an attack on bitcoin’s credibility as a store of value, it’s security credibility, and a lynch mob attempt to push changes there is not consensus for. spam is just an annoyance, it all definitionally fits within the block-size. the op returns are 4x smaller.
— Adam Back (@adam3us) February 15, 2026
A developer known as Dathon Ohm proposed temporarily reducing the data limit in transactions for 12 months. The initiative is aimed at combating blockchain loading with images and media files.
Back supported the notion of Bitcoin as “hard money” but opposed interference in the consensus. According to him, spam is merely an “annoyance” that poses no real threat to the network’s security.
“This is an attack on Bitcoin’s authority as a store of value. A lynch mob attempt to push changes without consensus,” wrote Back.
it’s worse as it is an attack on bitcoin’s credibility as a store of value, it’s security credibility, and a lynch mob attempt to push changes there is not consensus for. spam is just an annoyance, it all definitionally fits within the block-size. the op returns are 4x smaller.
— Adam Back (@adam3us) February 15, 2026
The head of Blockstream also warned of technical risks. Implementing BIP-110 could make some unspent transaction outputs inaccessible, effectively freezing users’ funds.
The proposal’s author, Dathon Ohm, acknowledged the theoretical possibility of blocking. However, he assured that the code is “carefully crafted to avoid damage to known scenarios.”
Support for BIP-110 has been expressed by about 7.5% of nodes, nearly all of which use the Bitcoin Knots client.
The share of this software has risen to 22.7% due to users migrating from Bitcoin Core (77.2%). The split occurred at the end of 2025 when Core developers removed the 80-byte limit for the OP_RETURN function, allowing new types of data to be recorded on the blockchain.
Back in December 2025, Back criticized Castle Island Ventures partner Nic Carter for inciting panic over the threat to Bitcoin from quantum computers.