Bitcoin Core proponents defend OP_RETURN changes as neutral, while critics warn of spam and capture. Bitcoin Core’s next major upgrade has reignited old tensions in the community, pitting developers who want a neutral, fee-driven network against purists who see non-financial data as spam. Bitcoin Core v30, expected in October, will remove the 80-byte cap on OP_RETURN, the part of a transaction script that allows users to embed arbitrary data. Bitcoin Core is software that runs the Bitcoin network, maintained by an open group of developers but widely relied upon by miners and node operators. While alternatives such as Knots exist, Bitcoin Core is the protocol’s reference implementation that is run by the majority of the network. Read more
Coinbase Ventures led a $14.6 million round for Bastion, a startup providing white-label stablecoin issuance with backing from Sony, Samsung, A16z and others. Update (Sept. 24, 5:45 pm UTC): This article has been updated to correct the date of Bastion’s $25 million raise in September 2023. Stablecoin infrastructure startup Bastion has raised $14.6 million in a funding round led by Coinbase Ventures, the company said Wednesday. According to a Wednesday announcement, the round also saw the participation of Japanese tech giant Sony, the investment subsidiary of South Korean phone maker Samsung, the crypto arm of venture capital (VC) firm Andreessen Horowitz and crypto VC firm Hashed. Read more
Bitcoin traders supplied BTC price levels to cause “max pain” around a giant $17.5 billion options expiry, while Bollinger Bands set new records. Key points: Bitcoin price wars between bulls and bears continue as traders line up end-of-month BTC price targets. These include a return to $107,000 or lower before a rebound. Read more