The Bitcoin ecosystem operates on a unique dual-tempo development model that separates foundational stability from rapid innovation. While the core protocol evolves at a glacial pace through careful consensus mechanisms, secondary layers and edge systems innovate at breakneck speed, creating a fascinating split in Bitcoin’s evolution that allows for both security and experimentation within the same ecosystem.
about Bitcoin's Two-Speed Evolution: Slow Base, Fast EdgesOrdinals
0 in Finance and 0 in Crypto last weekBitcoin Hits Record 540K Transactions in 2025
Bitcoin’s network activity has surged to a 2025 high with 540,000 transactions recorded, signaling robust demand. Analysts link the uptick to growing real-world usage, potentially fueling the next bullish phase. Despite a recent price dip, institutional inflows and on-chain metrics suggest underlying strength.
about Bitcoin Hits Record 540K Transactions in 2025Bitcoin Taproot Upgrade Falls Short, Says Core Developer
Bitcoin Core developer Jimmy Song has delivered a scathing critique of the network’s Taproot upgrade, declaring it a failure that not only fell short of its promised privacy and security enhancements but also inadvertently opened the door to network-clogging spam transactions through Ordinals and BRC-20 tokens. In a recent video statement, Song argued that developers overlooked critical social vulnerabilities, transforming what was meant to be a landmark improvement into what he describes as a symbolic disappointment for the Bitcoin community.
about Bitcoin Taproot Upgrade Falls Short, Says Core DeveloperBRC-20 Tokens Strain Bitcoin Nodes More Than Ordinal Images
BitMEX Research’s comprehensive study analyzed the impact of BRC-20 tokens and Ordinal images on Bitcoin node performance over nearly three years. While both use approximately 30GB of storage, BRC-20 tokens account for 92.5 million transactions compared to Ordinals’ 2.7 million. The key finding shows BRC-20 transactions strain nodes more significantly by expanding the UTXO set from 84 million to 169 million between 2022-2025, creating challenges especially for pruned nodes. Surprisingly, large Ordinal images stored in Taproot’s non-executed witness space actually showed potential verification speed improvements of about 11%, though researchers caution this doesn’t make them beneficial overall due to blockspace consumption concerns. The study emphasizes that internet speed and hardware variations require further testing for conclusive results.
about BRC-20 Tokens Strain Bitcoin Nodes More Than Ordinal ImagesBitcoin Ordinals Leader Threatens Core Fork Over Censorship
Leonidas, a leading figure in the Bitcoin Ordinals community, has declared that his group will create an open-source fork of Bitcoin Core if developers reverse the upcoming update enabling more Ordinals and Runes transactions. This threat emerges from an ongoing debate within the Bitcoin ecosystem about whether node validators should prioritize peer-to-peer financial transactions over large data transactions containing images, videos, or documents. Critics label these non-financial transactions as spam, while proponents like Leonidas argue that censorship would set a dangerous precedent. The developer warned that any policy tightening or transaction censorship would trigger decisive action, potentially creating a schism in the Bitcoin development community.
about Bitcoin Ordinals Leader Threatens Core Fork Over CensorshipBitcoin Censorship War: Core vs Knots in Spam Battle
The Bitcoin ecosystem is facing a critical juncture as the ‘Spam Wars’ intensify between Bitcoin Core and alternative implementation Bitcoin Knots. Leonidas, a prominent Ordinals advocate, has issued an open letter warning Bitcoin Core against censoring transactions, arguing that any censorship sets a dangerous precedent that undermines Bitcoin’s core value of censorship resistance. The conflict has triggered massive node migration, with Knots growing from 69 to over 4,200 nodes representing 18% of the network by September 2025. Miners controlling over half of Bitcoin’s hash rate have privately expressed willingness to accept all consensus-valid transactions, while developers warn that Knots’ rapid growth could lead to chain splits. The debate centers on whether Bitcoin should remain a purely monetary settlement layer or evolve to support innovative on-chain uses like NFTs and memecoins.
about Bitcoin Censorship War: Core vs Knots in Spam BattleBRC-20 2.0 Upgrade Brings EVM Smart Contracts to Bitcoin
The BRC-20 protocol has officially launched its 2.0 upgrade at Bitcoin block height 912690, embedding Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) functionality directly into Bitcoin’s native indexer system. Developed by Best In Slot in collaboration with creator Domo and the Layer 1 Foundation, this upgrade transforms BRC-20 from a simple token standard into a Turing-complete platform capable of supporting Ethereum-style smart contracts. The integration allows developers to build decentralized applications directly secured by Bitcoin while maintaining full compatibility with Ethereum’s tooling ecosystem. This represents a significant leap forward for Bitcoin-native assets, which have seen over $3 billion in trading volume despite being primarily limited to meme coins. The upgrade positions BRC-20 ahead of competing standards like Runes by enabling a full DeFi ecosystem on Bitcoin, potentially sparking renewed institutional interest and driving another bull run for Bitcoin-based assets.
about BRC-20 2.0 Upgrade Brings EVM Smart Contracts to BitcoinBitcoin Fee Collapse Threatens Network Security: Galaxy
Bitcoin’s fee market has entered a critical phase with median daily fees dropping over 80% since April 2024, resulting in 15% of blocks clearing at nearly zero cost. This collapse stems from multiple factors: the decline of non-monetary activities like Ordinals and Runes, migration of speculative activity to faster chains like Solana, and the locking of 1.3 million BTC in spot ETFs that rarely move on-chain. The situation exposes Bitcoin’s vulnerability as miners face reduced revenue beyond the halved block subsidy. Galaxy Digital warns that without sufficient fee revenue and organic on-chain activity, Bitcoin’s long-term security model is at risk, potentially becoming a settlement layer without meaningful settlement transactions.
about Bitcoin Fee Collapse Threatens Network Security: GalaxyBitcoinFi Surges: $10B Staked, $5.5B in L2s, $175M Funding
Maestro’s latest report highlights BitcoinFi’s rapid expansion, with over $10 billion in staked BTC, including $3.32 billion in re-staking. Layer 2 solutions now hold $5.52 billion in TVL, led by Stacks, while stablecoins reach $860 million in TVL. Venture funding has rebounded to $175 million across 32 deals, signaling strong investor confidence. The ecosystem is diversifying with innovations in liquid staking tokens, dual-token models, and Bitcoin-native lending. Despite challenges like fragmented liquidity, BitcoinFi is emerging as a bridge between traditional finance and decentralized finance, with growing enterprise adoption and developer activity.
about BitcoinFi Surges: $10B Staked, $5.5B in L2s, $175M FundingNFT Market Rebounds as CryptoPunks, Mad Lads See Surge
The NFT market is experiencing a resurgence, with CryptoPunks leading the charge as trading volume spikes. Over $26 million worth of NFTs changed hands on Ethereum in a single day, the highest since February. CryptoPunks’ floor price surged 20% to 48 ETH ($177,000), while Solana’s Mad Lads saw a 27% increase. Despite the uptick, activity remains below previous highs, with no collections nearing all-time price records. Analysts caution that the trend may not sustain, as earlier spikes in volume were short-lived. Meanwhile, other collections like Pudgy Penguins and Mutant Ape Yacht Club also posted gains, signaling broader market momentum.
about NFT Market Rebounds as CryptoPunks, Mad Lads See SurgeMaestro & ICP Boost Bitcoin DeFi with Ordinals & Runes
Maestro has teamed up with the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP) to advance Bitcoin’s DeFi ecosystem by developing an enterprise-grade metaprotocol indexer for Ordinals and Runes. Funded by a DFINITY Foundation grant, the partnership will integrate high-throughput ICP canisters to provide real-time data for Bitcoin-native applications like Liquidium and Odin.fun. The Maestro Indexer ensures secure, trustless access to BTC assets, enabling innovations such as instant cross-chain loans without bridges. With over 1,000 developers already using Maestro’s infrastructure, this collaboration strengthens ICP’s position in BTCFi, where TVL has surged from $300M to $7B in a year.
about Maestro & ICP Boost Bitcoin DeFi with Ordinals & RunesBitcoin’s Cold War: 3,000 Nodes at Risk in Core Policy Clash
Bitcoin Core’s decision to remove the 80-byte OP_RETURN relay cap has sparked a divisive policy war, with a GitHub script now targeting Bitcoin Knots nodes (13% of reachable peers) for auto-banning. The conflict centers on whether larger data payloads undermine Bitcoin’s monetary focus, with Knots gaining adoption as critics like Luke Dashjr call Core’s move ‘utter insanity.’ Unlike the block size wars, this relay policy split doesn’t require consensus changes but risks network partitioning if peer bans spread. Core’s v30 release in October will enforce the change, leaving miners and node operators to decide whether to propagate data-heavy transactions. With Knots nodes at a record 2,938 and banning tools proliferating, Bitcoin faces its first major operational divide since 2017.
about Bitcoin's Cold War: 3,000 Nodes at Risk in Core Policy Clash