Discussion around the Bitcoin Core proposal to remove the 80-byte constraint on script opcodes has been gaining traction, not only among developers but also across social media where the broader community is weighing in. Simultaneously, individuals and organizations are creatively employing OP_RETURN transactions—to experiment, make statements, or signal potential shifts in Bitcoin’s direction as it straddles the line between storing JPGs or serving as a peer-to-peer (P2P) payment mechanism.

OP_RETURN is a Bitcoin script opcode that permits embedding unspendable data—up to 80 bytes—without contributing to UTXO set expansion. It’s employed for purposes ranging from timestamping and asset issuance to inscriptions, yet its strict size ceiling remains contentious. Lifting the cap could eliminate the need for convoluted methods, though it also raises concerns about potential spam. For a deeper exploration into the mechanics of OP_RETURNs and the central issues driving the current debate, check out this article here.

Since the adjustment pertains to relay policies rather than consensus rules, enforcement ultimately lies with individual nodes. Recently, OP_RETURN transactions have become an unexpected medium for creative expression—one in particular delivers a clever twist on Rick Astley’s 1987 classic. The message reads: “Never gonna give you OP_RETURN. never gonna let you down Never gonna run around and desert you Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you.”

Another OP_RETURN states:

Filters have a huge influence on what gets mined.

Amid the flurry of onchain messages, May 15 saw a group known as The Wizards of Ord craft a block—specifically block 896,696—showcasing their full set of 3,333 The Wizards of Ord inscriptions. “We just created the largest OP_RETURN in Bitcoin history,” the X account @lifofifo wrote. “Introducing the first-ever 1 megger, Block 896696, which includes every single The Wizards of Ord in OP_RETURN data.” To craft a transaction that could occupy an entire block with nearly 1 MB of arbitrary data via OP_RETURN, the creator had to navigate around multiple policy-level constraints embedded in the default behavior of Bitcoin node software.

Although OP_RETURN is capped at 80 bytes to discourage misuse and excessive chain growth, this limitation isn’t a consensus rule—it’s enforced solely through the standardness policies followed by most full nodes. In this instance, the transaction sidestepped that nuance by designating the outputs as non-standard and submitting the transaction directly to a mining pool—namely Marathon (MARA)—that opted to ignore default policies and include it in a block regardless.

The transaction was constructed using version 2 of the Bitcoin format, which supports Segwit functionality and offers expanded scripting capabilities for inputs and outputs. As no bitcoin was actually transferred—0 BTC sent—the transaction served exclusively as a vehicle for embedding data. Still, miners are frequently drawn to such blocks for the fees they offer, regardless of their absence of monetary exchange. When the attached fee is sufficiently generous, it can persuade a miner to include the transaction despite its inefficiency in terms of fee-per-byte economics.

The flurry of onchain messages and the debut of the “first-ever 1 megger” coincide with a noticeable uptick in adoption of the Bitcoin Knots node implementation. In contrast to the forthcoming release of Bitcoin Core, Knots retains the -datacarrier and -datacarriersize flags, offering operators granular control. Setting -datacarrier=0 allows a node to reject all OP_RETURN transactions outright, while modifying -datacarriersize enables the enforcement of stricter data caps, such as the conventional 80-byte limit.

These parameters filter incoming transactions from a node’s mempool, effectively halting their dissemination to connected peers. Knots now runs on roughly 2,000 nodes, up from just 600 in mid-March, though this still trails the 19,470 publicly visible Bitcoin Core nodes currently online.

As questions over Bitcoin’s role continue to evolve, the recent OP_RETURN experimentation signals a growing appetite for creative control at the protocol’s edges. With node software diverging and miners responding to new incentives, the network appears to be entering a phase of quiet redefinition—where policy, purpose, and participation are being tested one byte, one block, and one meme at a time.

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