Bitcoin Core to Remove 80-Byte OP_RETURN Limit in Upcoming Update
1min read The Bitcoin Core development team has announced that it will remove the existing limit on the size of OP_RETURN data in its upcoming software update. This change will enable users to include larger amounts of information in their transactions and eliminate the restriction on the number of OP_RETURN outputs that can be added to a single transfer.
OP_RETURN is a unique feature within the Bitcoin network that allows users to embed small amounts of data within transactions. Unlike standard transaction outputs, OP_RETURN outputs are non-spendable and do not contribute to the list of unspent transaction outputs (UTXOs).
The 80-byte limit on OP_RETURN data was originally implemented to prevent the misuse of Bitcoin's limited block space for purposes other than payments. However, Bitcoin developer Greg Sanders, in a May 5 GitHub post, argued that this limit is now obsolete. The proposed change, identified as pull request 32359, was developed by Bitcoin contributor Peter Todd at the request of Chaincode Labs. The new update will enable nodes to relay and miners to include transactions with larger OP_RETURN outputs by default.
Sanders highlighted that while large data inscriptions will continue regardless, removing the size limit allows for a more transparent and less detrimental process. This change also offers several benefits, including a cleaner set of spendable outputs, more consistent behavior across the network, and better alignment with how users are already utilizing Bitcoin.
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