The upcoming changes to Bitcoin Core’s OP_RETURN policy have ignited a fierce debate in the Bitcoin community. Samson Mow, CEO of JAN3, a company focused on Bitcoin adoption, has added fuel to the fire by publicly calling for a fork of the dominant client software. In a recent podcast appearance, Mow stated: “Maybe it’s time for another fork of Bitcoin” — one that would correct what he sees as misaligned incentives among current developers and create a more sustainable funding structure.
The OP_RETURN Controversy
Bitcoin Core developers plan to lift existing guardrails on the OP_RETURN opcode, allowing larger amounts of non-monetary data to be embedded in transactions. Proponents argue the move aligns with Bitcoin’s ethos of permissionless innovation and could enable new use cases like ordinals and inscriptions. Critics, including Mow, counter that the change invites spam and undermines Bitcoin’s primary purpose as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system. The so-called “Core Wars” have intensified as the community debates whether the shift is a natural evolution or a dangerous deviation.
Mow’s Fork Proposal: Structure, Funding, Anonymity
Speaking on the podcast, Mow laid out a concrete vision for a fork. He proposed taking the current Bitcoin Core codebase and establishing a new charter with clearer governance and incentive structures. A key element is a dedicated grant fund to support developers working on the new software. “If there is economic power saying Bitcoin is money, then this is how you could show it,” Mow emphasized.
To ensure that development remains focused on the mission rather than personal fame, Mow recommended that developers contributing to the fork operate anonymously. “You want to make sure they’re not in it for personal glory but to contribute to Bitcoin,” he explained. This echoes previous sentiments from Mow, who has urged the community to blacklist developers acting in “bad faith” from conferences and cut off funding to organizations that support contentious changes.
Knots Adoption Surges as Backlash Grows
The controversy has already had a tangible impact on the Bitcoin node landscape. Since Bitcoin Core announced the plan to merge OP_RETURN relaxations, adoption of the alternative node software Bitcoin Knots has increased significantly. According to public node statistics, Knots now accounts for 1,868 out of 21,767 public Bitcoin nodes — a notable rise that signals growing discontent among node operators who prefer a more conservative approach.
What Lies Ahead?
Mow’s fork proposal is far from the first in Bitcoin’s history. Previous forks like Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin SV split the community over block size and other disagreements. However, a fork focused specifically on developer incentives and OP_RETURN policy would be unprecedented. Whether Mow can rally enough economic and hash power to make such a fork viable remains uncertain. What is clear is that the current schism over OP_RETURN represents a fundamental debate about Bitcoin’s identity: should it remain a pristine monetary asset, or evolve into a platform for data and applications?
As the Core Wars continue, the community will closely watch whether alternative clients like Knots gain further traction — and whether Mow’s call for a new fork gains serious backing from miners, exchanges, and users. The outcome could shape Bitcoin’s technical and governance direction for years to come.