Blockspace: AI & Bitcoin

What started as a technical proposal has exploded into community division, with accusations of "destroying Bitcoin" flying around. The hosts break down what OP_RETURN is, why some devs want to increase its size limit, and why others view it as enabling "spam" on the blockchain. At its core, this fight reveals deeper tensions about who controls Bitcoin's future and what the network should be used for. Notes: - OP_RETURN limit currently set at 83 bytes - Proposal would increase limit to ~1 megabyte - 30-45% of Bitcoin transactions are "non-financial" - Bitcoin Knots node usage has grown to 7-8% - Out-of-band transactions bypass node relay - Core devs facing diminished community trust Timestamps: 00:00:00:00 Start 00:00:36:16 Why's everyone so mad? 00:02:04:14 Claim your bias 00:04:00:03 The backstory 00:08:27:09 Changing the OP_RETRUN limit 00:11:24:06 Post to relax the limit 00:15:39:23 Out of Band payment 00:17:39:06 Standard vs valid consensus 00:19:52:29 What is spam? 00:28:41:05 Arch Network 00:29:13:14 Cons of increasing the limit 00:32:34:25 That's too "woke" bro! 00:35:56:27 Knots - 👉 Brought t o you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more. - 👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech! Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here. Questions or want to sponsor? hello@blockspace.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Udi Wertheimer, co-founder of the Taproot Wizards and famous Bitcoin provocateur, joins us to talk about the explosive OP_RETURN debate dividing the Bitcoin community. We dive deep into why Bitcoin Core developers are facing unprecedented backlash, how they've lost touch with newer Bitcoiners, and what Greg Maxwell's sudden reappearance signals about Core's weakening position. Udi offers surprising insights on both sides and proposes solutions for rebuilding trust between developers and the community. Follow our guests: @udiwertheimer **Notes:** • OP_RETURN controversy spans over a decade • Greg Maxwell returns after years of silence • Core devs disconnected from 5+ year Bitcoiners • ~50 readers engage with Bitcoin OpTech weekly • 6-month delay suggested for PR merge • JPEGs benefit from controversy attention Timestamps: 00:00 Start 03:08 OP_RETURN Debate Summary 10:21 SPAM on Bitcoin 17:17 Is this a Core blunder? 27:26 How SHOULD Core do? 34:42 What if Core doesn't communicate better? 37:38 What does a pleb do? - 👉 Brought to you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more. - 👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech! Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here. Questions or want to sponsor? hello@blockspace.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arizona has taken the lead in the race to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve, with two bills passing through the legislature and now awaiting the governor's signature. These bills would allow the state to hold and buy Bitcoin and other digital assets with up to 10% allocation. The hosts dissect the different approaches states are taking, from Texas's expert advisory committee structure to New Hampshire and North Carolina's advancing legislation. With 40 strategic Bitcoin reserve bills filed across the US, and states navigating custody options, yield strategies, and political roadblocks, the Bitcoin state race is heating up! Notes: - Arizona passed two SBR bills awaiting governor's signature - 40 SBR bills filed across US states, 6 are dead - Texas bill allows up to 1% of general fund for Bitcoin - Arizona bills allow up to 10% allocation to Bitcoin - $500B minimum market cap requirement in Texas bill - Oklahoma bill failed in committee by one vote (6-5) Follow our guests: @cbspears @asilayhodling @btcszn2 Timestamps: 00:00 Start 00:32 Arizona SBR vote 08:42 State custody 11:50 Arch Network 12:22 Not your keys, not your strategic reserve 15:28 Other states drafting Bitcoin laws 16:51 Texas bill 20:31 Market cap provisions 25:31 Alabama 27:19 Fails: Oklahoma 32:08 Fails: Pennsylvania - 👉 Brought t o you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more. - 👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech! Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author of "The Bitcoin Dollar" Mark Goodwin joins us to discuss how stablecoins may be the US government's strategy to maintain dollar hegemony by yoking Bitcoin to the dollar system. He explains how private stablecoin issuers must buy US treasuries, creating artificial dollar demand while enabling surveillance. Mark argues that while Bitcoin pumps, Bitcoiners must fight to preserve its permissionless nature or risk merely empowering the state rather than creating true freedom for individuals. Follow our guests: @markgoodw_in # Notes: - Tether holds ~$145B in US treasuries - PayPal offering 3.7% yield on PYUSD stablecoin - Bitcoin inflation fell below gold in May 2020 - US strategically using stablecoins for dollar demand - Stablecoin regulations prioritize treasury backing - Bitcoin scaling solutions needed for privacy Timestamps: 00:00 Start 01:32 The 21 cabal 06:40 Bitcoin as an EXIT 14:14 The Bitcoin Dollar 29:54 Arch 39:27 Stablecoins 51:40 Trump's illegal scams 1:01:25 What should Bitcoiners do? - 👉 Brought to you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more. - 👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech! Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charlie and Colin explain 5 things you probably didn’t know about Bitcoin. Satoshi's original Bitcoin client included a poker program. Did you know Bitcoin has an off-by-one error in Bitcoin's difficulty adjustment? We debunk the myth that the 21 million cap is mentioned in the whitepaper and explore three critical inflation bugs that threatened Bitcoin. Lastly, we tell the story of how "Bitcoin Pizza Guy" Laszlo Hanyecz was actually a pioneering contributor to Bitcoin's development and mining technology. Notes: - Original Bitcoin client included a poker client - Difficulty adjustment calculation uses 2015 not 2016 blocks - 21M supply cap not mentioned in Bitcoin whitepaper - 2010 inflation bug created 184 billion Bitcoin - Bitcoin Pizza guy spent ~100,000 BTC, not just 10,000 Follow our guests: @cbspears @asilayhodling @btcszn2 Timestamps: 00:00 Start 02:05 Bitcoin & Poker 09:12 Difficulty Adjustment 2015 Blocks 13:02 21M Supply (or not?) 17:55 Arch 18:28 3 Bugs 29:06 Bitcoin Pizza Guilt 39:58 BONUS: HFSP - 👉 Brought to you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more. - 👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech! Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here. Questions or want to sponsor? hello@blockspace.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt and Amine, co-founders of Arch Network, join us to talk about their recent $13M Series A funding round led by Pantera Capital. They explain how Arch differentiates itself from other Bitcoin L2s by enabling programmability on Bitcoin with their custom VM and FROST/ROAST threshold signature schemes. The founders discuss their approach to solving Bitcoin's programming limitations, creating a dynamic validator system that can scale over time, and building applications like DEXs and prediction markets directly on Bitcoin. They also share insights from their testnet phase and outline their roadmap toward mainnet launch.Follow our guests: @0xfinetuned @proofofmud# Notes:- Arch raised $13 million led by Pantera Capital- Uses FROST/ROAST for dynamic validator sets- Custom VM inspired by Solana's architecture- Aims for instant finality vs Bitcoin's 10 minutes- Uses transaction dependency graph for rollbacks- Mainnet launch expected around June/July 2025Timestamps:00:00 Start00:35 Pantera Capital raise01:57 Building Arch last 2 yrs04:04 VC finally funding BTC dev07:37 Arch ecosystem09:07 Arch dev verticals13:25 Distributed validator set15:04 Arch ad read15:36 Arch Virtual Machine17:33 Developer adoption new VM20:19 Builder reception21:50 Testnet learnings24:26 Under the hood of Arch25:51 Bitcoin MEV29:05 Apps for Arch31:14 Migrating L1 assets to Arch33:27 Wen Arch token35:09 The future-👉 Brought to you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more.-👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech!Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here.Questions or want to sponsor? hello@blockspace.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charlie and Colin dive into the growing presence of crypto lobbying in Washington, D.C., analyzing CoinDesk's coverage and the staggering $119 million spent by the industry in 2024. They contrast national lobbying orgs like the Bitcoin Policy Institute with state-level players like the Satoshi Action Fund, discussing their roles, motivations, and effectiveness. The hosts also reflect on their own grassroots efforts in Oklahoma, the risks of regulatory capture, and the long-term implications of industry money shaping public policy.Follow our guests: @cbspears @asilayhodling @btcszn2Timestamps:0:00 Intro: Are there too many crypto lobbyists?0:42 Offensive lobbying: Crypto enters DC with money and momentum1:50 From defense to offense: Lobbying works3:13 CoinDesk chart: $119M spent by crypto in 20245:20 How past regulatory scares galvanized the industry7:20 Two types of lobbying: Good faith vs regulatory capture10:21 Inside look: Local lobbying efforts in Oklahoma21:20 Arch22:34 National vs state: Satoshi Action Fund vs Bitcoin Policy Institute-👉 Brought to you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more.-👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech!Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here.Questions or want to sponsor? hello@blockspace.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pierre Rochard, one of the OG voices in Bitcoin discourse, joins us to discuss his new Bitcoin Bond Company as the continuation of the speculative attack thesis that he wrote about a decade ago. Pierre shares insights on corporate Bitcoin adoption trends, the trade-offs between on-chain transactions vs custodial services, and why he's more open to soft forks than many Bitcoin maximalists. The conversation takes a personal turn when Pierre explains how Bitcoin's shift away from materialism created space for his spiritual journey back to Catholicism.Follow our guests: @BitcoinPierreNotes:- Bitcoin bonds enable borrowing weak currencies- MicroStrategy uses convertible bonds for Bitcoin- Transaction fees crashed during bear markets- ETFs reduce on-chain Bitcoin footprint- Corporate adoption mainly from struggling companies- Pierre has cataloged 22 soft fork proposalsTimestamps:00:00 Start01:36 Who's Pierre Rochard?03:27 What's a speculative attack?09:24 Current market outlook11:48 Starkware interview reaction20:45 Priced out of on-chain access26:40 Arch27:14 Corporate influence over protocol development36:39 Corps buying BTC39:34 Degens & speculation46:05 Religion & faith49:44 The virtues of soft forks-👉 Brought to you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more.-👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech!Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here.Questions or want to sponsor? hello@blockspace.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do previous Bitcoin crashes compare to this week’s Tariff Troubles? Colin and Charlie analyze Bitcoin's recent 30% drop from $109K to $76K in context of previous market crashes. We compare the COVID crash of 2020, the Terra/Luna collapse of 2022, and the FTX insolvency that same year. They discuss how market sentiment differed between crashes despite similar percentage drops, explore how "exogenous" vs "endogenous" factors affected recovery, and debate whether Bitcoin behaves as a risk-on or risk-off asset. The conversation includes personal anecdotes about experiencing these market downturns and predictions for Bitcoin's future.Follow our guests: @cbspears @asilayhodling @btcszn2Notes:- Bitcoin down 30% from $109K to $76K- Markets recovered 9.5% in one day- Terra/Luna crash: 35% drop in one week- FTX collapse: only 30% drop but worst sentiment- US fiscal deficit at $36.7 trillion debt- BitMEX "outage" may have saved 2020 crashCheck out our Bitcoin scaling conference! Visit opnext.dev to learn more.Timestamps:00:00 Start00:46 Bitcoin crashes, don't buy it06:25 Macro lookback14:00 Covid crash (march 2020)22:45 Arch23:18 Terra Luna crash (may 2022)32:16 FTX Crash38:43 Stay humble, stack sats-👉 Brought to you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more.-👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech!Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here.Questions or want to sponsor? hello@blockspace.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ReardenCode, independent Bitcoin developer and freedom advocate, joins us to talk about reframing how we think about Bitcoin soft forks. Reardon breaks down opcodes, explains why we should focus on capabilities rather than protocols, and explores the historical context of Bitcoin's upgrades from SegWit to Taproot. The conversation goes deep on OP_CAT, CTV, and CHECKSIGFROMSTACK while but tries to make the topics approachable approachable.Follow our guests: @ReardenCodeNotes:- Bitcoin is the first digitally scarce asset- OP_CAT enables five different capabilities- SegWit enabled non-third party malleable txs- Taproot enabled hidden script paths- CTV+CSS combo enables rebindable signatures- MEV concerns can probably be scoped and managedCheck out our Bitcoin scaling conference! Visit opnext.dev to learn more.Timestamps:00:00 Start01:28 What is Bitcoin?02:36 What's an OP code?05:41 How to think about OP codes07:39 Capabilities examples10:17 Explaining OP codes12:03 What do we want?13:24 Why did SegWit NOT do more?15:22 Taproot18:50 Arch19:25 Hidden script paths22:13 CTV31:55 OP_CAT35:11 Check Contract Verify36:33 Introduction of "state" & MEV37:07 MEV40:29 Limiting MEV43:36 The problems of OP_CAT48:26 The current consensus52:22 Wrap up-👉 Brought to you by Arch Network! Arch brings the speed of Solana & the best of crypto UX to Bitcoin. Tap into the rich app ecosystem on Arch & try out the testnet while you’re still early! Visit arch.network to learn more.-👋Bitcoin Season 2 is produced Blockspace Media, Bitcoin’s first B2B publication in Bitcoin. Follow us on Twitter and check out our newsletter for the best information in Bitcoin mining, Ordinals and tech!Enjoy the show? Check out our website and newsletter by clicking here.Questions or want to sponsor? hello@blockspace.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices