A recent announcement from the Bitcoin Core Project has ignited controversy within the community, raising concerns about potential division and future direction of the network. The statement details their approach to transaction relay strategy, advocating for a hands-off approach towards the Bitcoin protocol. This move sparked criticism, with prominent figures like Samson Mow (CEO of JAN3) highlighting potential problems with gradual changes. Jameson Lopp (founder of Casa), in his response, emphasized that developers cannot force others to adopt their code and challenged the statement’s effectiveness through its lack of unified messaging. Meanwhile, Carl Horton, a Bitcoin developer, underscored the project’s core function as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system. Adding fuel to the fire, Luke Dashjr (a Bitcoin Core developer) criticized the proposed transaction relay goals for their potential to facilitate spam and centralization.