Luke Dashjr, a developer behind Bitcoin Knots, advised a supporter of his splinter Bitcoin fork to acquire a “real computer” following a fresh rule that triggered a resync on the user’s Raspberry Pi node.
Detractors swiftly seized upon the remark. For months, advocates of the fork maintained that inexpensive hardware needs to remain capable of running a full node.
What the 45-Day Rule Means for the Bitcoin Fork
The fork separated from the primary network in August and transitioned its mining algorithm to BLAKE2b on September 1. Since that time, it has attracted nearly zero hashrate alongside a lack of major exchange listings.
This week, Dashjr announced that a new soft fork has gone live on that blockchain. The pull request he submitted for Bitcoin Knots—the node software he oversees—freezes newly mined coins for roughly 45 days instead of the standard 100 blocks.
Dashjr explained that the objective is to penalize pool operators who mine without validating transactions. In his view, miners who neglect this responsibility forfeit their right to payment.
Yet the update created complications for at least one individual operating a node. The participant reported that the change initiated an initial block download (IBD), forcing a complete chain resync, and noted that the 45-day span would elapse prior to his Raspberry Pi finishing the catch-up process.
Critics Say the Node Cost Argument Just Flipped
BIP-110, the upgrade proposal that sparked the fork, aimed to limit arbitrary data like inscriptions on Bitcoin. Proponents of the measure argued that such “spam” drives up the expenses associated with running a node.
Critics interpreted Dashjr’s response as a complete about-face. A prominent Bitcoin educator remarked that the group shifted from protecting home-based nodes to requiring upgraded hardware in a remarkably short timeframe.
When another participant questioned where the acceptable minimum hardware threshold lies, Dashjr answered that it hinges on patience. He also laid blame on Bitcoin Core for escalating node expenses well before the introduction of BIP-110.
Simultaneously, Dashjr continues to refer to the main network as “Spamcoin.” Having previously accused trading platforms of distributing counterfeit Bitcoins, he now describes the network as a centralized fiat airdrop, warning that a minor cartel operating it could confiscate user funds.
Presently, participants utilizing the fork confront the most demanding hardware challenge yet. The remaining two phases of the strategy may ultimately determine whether any miners decide to come back.