Untangling Knots vs. Core | THE BITCOIN BRIEF 66

In this episode of The Bitcoin Brief, Max and Q delve into the latest happenings in the world of Bitcoin and privacy. 

In this Bitcoin Brief, Q and Max dive into the escalating Core vs. Knots debate, sparked by leaked DMs suggesting a potential hard fork proposal from Luke Dashjr to address CSAM-related concerns via a trusted multisig and ZK proofs. We unpack why leaking private messages is a bad precedent, the slippery-slope risks of any centralised arbiter of “bad data,” and how such a scheme could fracture consensus and even create a hard fork. From there, we lay out both sides: Core’s view that fees are the real spam filter and that relaxing/removing the OP_RETURN relay limit nudges non‑monetary protocols toward a less harmful data path; and Knots’ view that node-level filters express sovereignty, reduce bloat, and protect network integrity. We also explore why spam is subjective, why whack‑a‑mole filtering doesn’t work against out‑of‑band miner deals, and the economic incentives that may still push data into discounted witness space despite OP_RETURN becoming more permissive.

They present a pragmatic take on peer‑to‑peer exchanges like Peach and RoboSats: they improve personal privacy versus centralised KYC, but they’re not magic cloaks against governments or banks—use them thoughtfully, consider dedicated accounts, and prefer gift cards for day‑to‑day fiat spend. Rounding out the brief are updates: Peach adding buy‑side offers; Fulcrum v2.0 improving database reliability; Liana RC2 and Nunchuk’s new Miniscript templates (including time‑locks—use with care); and the Mostro v1 mobile app for Nostr‑native P2P trading. We close with notes on Ark developments from Bull Bitcoin and a deep dive piece on Ark and Spark channel factories.

[[LINKS]]

VALUE FOR VALUE

Thanks for listening you Ungovernable Misfits, we appreciate your continued support and hope you enjoy the shows.

You can support this episode using your time, talent or treasure.

TIME:

- create fountain clips for the show
- create a meetup
- help boost the signal on social media

TALENT:

- create ungovernable misfit inspired art, animation or music
- design or implement some software that can make the podcast better
- use whatever talents you have to make a contribution to the show!

TREASURE:

- BOOST IT OR STREAM SATS on the Podcasting 2.0 apps @ https://podcastapps.com
- DONATE via Monero @ https://xmrchat.com/ugmf
- BUY SOME STICKERS @ https://www.ungovernablemisfits.com/shop/

FOUNDATION

https://foundation.xyz/ungovernable

Foundation builds Bitcoin-centric tools that empower you to reclaim your digital sovereignty.

As a sovereign computing company, Foundation is the antithesis of today’s tech conglomerates. Returning to cypherpunk principles, they build open source technology that “can’t be evil”.

Thank you Foundation Devices for sponsoring the show!

Use code: Ungovernable for $10 off of your purchase

CAKE WALLET

https://cakewallet.com

Cake Wallet is an open-source, non-custodial wallet available on Android, iOS, macOS, and Linux.

Features:
- Built-in Exchange: Swap easily between Bitcoin and Monero.
- User-Friendly: Simple interface for all users.

Monero Users:
- Batch Transactions: Send multiple payments at once.
- Faster Syncing: Optimized syncing via specified restore heights
- Proxy Support: Enhance privacy with proxy node options.

Bitcoin Users:
- Coin Control: Manage your transactions effectively.
- Silent Payments: Static bitcoin addresses
- Batch Transactions: Streamline your payment process.

Thank you Cake Wallet for sponsoring the show!

MYNYMBOX

https://mynymbox.io

Your go-to for anonymous server hosting solutions, featuring: virtual private & dedicated servers, domain registration and DNS parking. We don't require any of your personal information, and you can purchase using Bitcoin, Lightning, Monero and many other cryptos.

Explore benefits such as No KYC, complete privacy & security, and human support.