BTC 106k. Today, the 6.16 Chain Internal Reference 《Crossroads of the Cycle》 mentioned that the Bitcoin Knots client, an alternative to the Bitcoin Core client, has entered the top three in market adoption today!
The above chart is a statistic compiled by Clark Moddy based on data from bitnodes.io. Currently, the first-ranked node adoption is Bitcoin Core 28.1, accounting for 19.2%. The second is Bitcoin Core 29, accounting for 12.6%. The third is Bitcoin Knots, accounting for 11.2%.
If these numbers don't mean much to you, look back at the screenshot from the Chain's article on 2025.5.8 《OP_RETURN: One of the Most Severe BTC Controversies》, where Knots' adoption rate was only 4.54%.
In just over a month, the adoption rate has more than doubled!
The reason is simple. The Chain explained in the 5.8 article and the 2025.6.8 article 《Bitcoin Core Development and Transaction Forwarding Strategy》 that it was due to the Bitcoin Core maintenance team's "provocative actions". On the issue of inserting non-BTC transaction-related data into the Bitcoin ledger (blockchain), they abandoned the spirit of fighting with mining groups from 2015-2017 and chose to compromise with miners' interests, deciding to become the "accomplices" of mining groups by gradually abandoning the existing additional data filtering switch in the code.
Please note: abandoning the filtering switch in the default release is not a value-neutral action, but one with a clear political stance.
Considering the power dynamics and game between mining-driven, well-funded miners and individual full node operators who pay out of pocket and are relatively weak.
In comparison, miners, especially large miners and mining pools, can easily master the relevant technology and modify the Bitcoin client code at will. Even if Bitcoin Core's default release retains the filter, miners can remove related restrictions by customizing the code.
For scattered individual full nodes, they are isolated, financially and technically weak, with most individuals only capable of downloading and running the default client software, unable to modify or customize.
Bitcoin Core should stand with individual full nodes and set control switches and default parameters according to their preferred characteristics.
If Bitcoin Core stands with the majority of users, it would create a counterbalance and game equilibrium with the mining groups holding computational power. Miners can still modify the code and enforce it through their computational power, but would be constrained by most users.
If Bitcoin Core stands with miners, it would mean code modification rights (legislative power) and computational power rights (executive power) colluding to impose force and oppression on most users and scattered individuals.
From the perspective of power balance in the Bitcoin ecosystem, Bitcoin Core choosing neutrality is already not neutral. They must firmly stand opposite the miners, representing the interests of a broader range of node users and wallet users.
If computational power is likened to guns, code should command the guns, not the other way around, with guns commanding code modifications.
So, how can the violent mining groups be made to obey code's commands? The answer has long existed: firmly standing on the side of the broadest users and representing their interests.
Now, the Bitcoin Core team is unilaterally abandoning their political origins, choosing to compromise with the violent group in a neutral stance. The Chain warned in the 2025.6.10 article 《Beware! Bitcoin Core has merged PR#32406》 that the team is forcibly pushing this political agenda despite disagreements. The new code declaring the abandonment of the filtering switch is expected to be released in Bitcoin Core 30 around October this year.
In a game, there is no right or wrong. Everything depends on the position you take. If you stand on this side, you'll say this side is right and the other side is wrong. If you stand on the other side, you'll say the other side is right and this side is wrong.
In the game, arguing about who is right or wrong is meaningless.
Stepping outside the game and looking from a higher dimension, right and wrong, interests become extremely clear. Obviously, strengthening game checks and balances is beneficial to Bitcoin, a system built on decentralization; weakening game checks and balances is harmful to Bitcoin.
Fortunately, Satoshi Nakamoto fully considered the best choices for decentralization and eliminating monopoly at every level of Bitcoin. At the code level, he chose to open-source all Bitcoin code. Although Bitcoin Core inherited Nakamoto's code, it cannot truly monopolize it.
As long as those with determination - like developer Luke Dashjr (for more, read the Chain's 2024.3.22 article 《Luke Dashjr: Bitcoin Legend》) - are willing, they can fork Core's open-source code, add community-requested capabilities, and publish it.
Yes, the Bitcoin Knots client is a slim version client by Luke Dashjr based on the Bitcoin Core client, adding or enhancing so-called junk data filtering functions.
Any user who doesn't want to waste their precious storage resources can choose to run the Knots client.
The Bitcoin Core that has abandoned its political origins will be abandoned by people voting with their feet.
The surge in Knots client adoption is precisely a silent proof that the mechanism of effective supervision, constraint, and checks on code modification rights can function.
