# The OP_RETURN Flame War (w/ Adam Back & ArbedOut)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/live-at-pubkey-nyc-6710644/the-op-return-flame-war-w-adam-back-arbedout
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/live-at-pubkey-nyc-6710644/the-op-return-flame-war-w-adam-back-arbedout.md
Podcast: [Live at PubKey NYC](https://stenobird.com/podcast/live-at-pubkey-nyc-6710644)
Published: 2025-10-06T13:38:50+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pubkey-media-house/episodes/The-OP_RETURN-Flame-War-w-Adam-Back--ArbedOut-e395ev0
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/ed4a14e0/podcast/play/109279648/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2025-9-6%2Fd2ec8954-96b1-eb6b-3e5a-abad94680685.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/live-at-pubkey-nyc-6710644/episodes/the-op-return-flame-war-w-adam-back-arbedout
Duration seconds: 4791

## Resource

Adam Back and ArbedOut take the stage at PubKey NYC with host Thomas Pacchia to discuss the brewing tensions between Bitcoin Core and Bitcoin Knots. Could we be heading toward a fork? Plus: How the OP_RETURN “flame war” revives a decade-old argument over spam, censorship, and Bitcoin’s purpose Why ArbedOut is choosing to steelman Bitcoin Knots and its alleged ability to filter "spam" transactions Why it's crucial to understand the difference between policy and consensus when it comes to BIPs The forgotten history of XT, Classic, Unlimited, and other Bitcoin forks (and what those client wars reveal about today’s split) Adam Back’s firsthand account of why OP_RETURN existed in the first place—did lazy developers force its creation? ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ PubKey meetups are FREE and PUBLIC. Join us to ask live questions, engage with experts, and enjoy a pint together: 🗽 PubKey NYC 🗽 85 Washington Place 🗽 New York, NY 10011 🧡 https://www.meetup.com/pubkey-meetups/events/ 🧡 https://luma.com/user/pubkey Follow us on X: ⁠ https://x.com/PubKey⁠

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## Transcript

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