A fierce debate is erupting within Bitcoin’s community as prominent figure Samson Mow, CEO of JAN3 and former Blockstream CSO, publicly declares that Bitcoin Core developers have become a “risk to Bitcoin.”
The controversy centers on proposed changes to the network’s data storage capabilities and raises fundamental questions about who really controls the world’s largest cryptocurrency.
In a post on X, Samson Mow wrote “Bitcoin Core has become a risk to Bitcoin” in response to developer James O’Beirne, who challenged recent claims that Bitcoin users are completely free to “just do things” if they don’t agree with Core.
Bitcoin Core has become a risk to Bitcoin. https://t.co/FMLwM7LV0c
— Samson Mow (@Excellion) June 8, 2025
Bitcoin Core Developers’ Power
Responding to Jameson Lopp’s assertion that “sovereignty is a mindset,” O’Beirne argued this view is dangerously naive given Bitcoin Core’s entrenched position in the ecosystem.
Sovereignty is a state of mind.
Stop thinking like a serf and realize you can just do things. pic.twitter.com/9oFNZ0jt4w— Jameson Lopp (@lopp) June 7, 2025
O’Beirne outlined two critical reasons why Core developers possess outsized influence. First, virtually every business has “hardcoded” Bitcoin Core into their operations with risk aversion levels that surpass the old IBM monopoly mentality. This creates what he calls an “amazing de facto monopoly on economic nodes,” giving Core developers unprecedented autonomy over network operations.
Second, Bitcoin’s technical complexity forces non-developers to delegate authority to trusted technical experts—and Core developers have become the default recipients of that delegation. This creates “tremendous sticky power” that most businesses and node operators won’t challenge due to the massive risks and costs of switching to alternative implementations.
The debate intensified around a seemingly minor technical proposal to remove the 83-byte limit for Bitcoin’s OP_RETURN field, which would allow more data to be attached to transactions.
Mow’s Accusations
Samson Mow has emerged as one of the most vocal opponents of the proposed changes, viewing them as part of a broader pattern of Core developers gradually enabling spam on the network. His criticism extends beyond technical concerns to fundamental governance questions about Bitcoin’s future direction.
Mow specifically targeted Bitcoin developer Greg Maxwell, alleging he was being “disingenuous” in supporting the OP_RETURN expansion and claiming Maxwell is either “intellectually dishonest or doesn’t understand the current reality.”
The JAN3 CEO argues that Core developers have been systematically changing the network to accommodate spam transactions and are now focused on removing barriers for spammers. He contends this approach undermines Bitcoin’s status as “Sound Money” and threatens its primary function as a monetary tool.
With Bitcoin trading around $105,400 amid this internal strife, the community faces opposing forces. The outcome of this dispute could determine whether Bitcoin maintains its decentralized ethos or becomes increasingly controlled by a small group of Core developers wielding disproportionate influence over the network’s evolution.
