A significant change is coming to Bitcoin’s blockchain as an upcoming software update will increase the data limit on the controversial OP_RETURN function. This move could lead to a vast expansion of storage capabilities for non-financial content on the network. Developer Gloria Zhao announced that the 80-byte limit on the OP_RETURN function will be removed, allowing each output to now hold up to 4 megabytes of data. This update comes after developers, including Peter Todd who initiated the proposal, expressed support for the change. However, it has ignited a firestorm within the Bitcoin community. Conservative factions argue that this expansion will clog the network with irrelevant information, hindering its ability to facilitate peer-to-peer transactions. This stance has been echoed by prominent figures in the industry like Alexander Lin from Reforge, who believes the data limit increase poses a systemic risk to Bitcoin’s core stability as sound money.