An OP_RETURN debate flared up in the Bitcoin industry in recent weeks and has by now invaded most conversation spaces within the industry. The topic is rich and complex, and many people have strong opinions on the matter.

OP_RETURN is an opcode in Bitcoin’s scripting language used to store meta data or arbitrary data that is not relevant for bitcoin transaction validation, as such can be pruned by node runners without much issue, enabling more efficient management of spam while also giving developers a controlled environment to anchor data on chain. 

Taking a harm reduction approach to the problem of spam, the OP_RETURN controversy was recently triggered by a pull request…

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