Luke Dashjr, a prominent Bitcoin core developer, called for action to stop the recent memecoin craze on the Bitcoin network. On May 8, he sent an email to the community saying that it was a mistake not to extend the network's spam filters to Taproot transactions, while spam filtering "has been a standard part of Bitcoin Core since day 1."
In his message, Dashjr also suggested that Bitcoin developers can either address the problem with the lack of filters for Taproot transactions or try "a narrower approach like OP_RETURN," which would require waiting for a major release.
Dashjr made his stance on Ordinals clear when the protocol, which allows users of the BItcoin network to mint NFT by inscribing them in satoshis, was introduced by Casey Rodamor in early 2023. Then, the developer tweeted, "Ordinals aren't just a spam attack; they are also an attack on Bitcoin's fungibility and, if accepted, would break at least Lightning and CoinJoin."
Read also: Bitcoin core developer disavows Ordinal NFT that used his code
As ordinals gained traction, many network developers realized that the protocol's new features could impact fees and the time required to execute transactions. While this creates favorable working conditions for miners, who can now make more money from transaction fees than from creating new blocks, and strengthens Bitcoin's position on the market, it also makes it more difficult for ordinary crypto users to make money transfers in Bitcoins.
This problem has been recently highlighted by Salvadoran blogger Marce Romero, who reported on the significant financial losses an average resident of her country suffers when making transactions in Bitcoin, the Salvadoran's legal tender.
Read also: Casey Rodarmor on controversy surrounding The Ordinals
Needless to say, this controversy led to a community dispute that divided Bitcoin users into two categories: those advocating Ordinals and those opposed to the protocol.
"So we should stop onboarding people to Bitcoin. If they think using the chain is the problem. What if the whole world starts sending Bitcoin around the mempool, then we will have the same problems. If they want to fix the real problem, they should come up with a better plan," pseudonymous Twitter user Stijn_nys commented on Dashjr's message.
Read also: Did Satoshi Nakamoto support Bitcoin NFTs?
An example of a contrary opinion is the tweet from Richie 3D Artist, who said, "The chain is primarily meant to be used as a peer-to-peer cash system. Both Ordinals and BRC-20 are contesting the network outside of its primary function."
Some of the crypto influencers also shared their thoughts on Dashjr's initiative on Twitter.
"Luke is waging a one-man jihad against Ordinals, I doubt the other devs will take him seriously based on their precious comments that Bitcoin was working as expected if people are submitting valid transactions," Washington Sanches, Kraken product lead for NFTs, tweeted. Meanwhile, Ryan Berckmans, an Ethereum advocate, commented on Dashjr's initiative, "Ordinals War refugees are very welcome in Ethereum. We won't rug your property rights or extinguish your apps," calling the dispute "a civil war."
