According to @BitMEXResearch, Bitcoin Core’s attempts to curb full-RBF via policy filters failed and were reversed by the network, indicating client defaults could not override miner and node preferences (source: BitMEX Research on X). According to @BitMEXResearch, efforts to impose a minimum relay fee filter also failed and were subsequently dropped in favor of network behavior, highlighting that fee propagation is dictated by market participants rather than Core settings (source: BitMEX Research on X). According to @BitMEXResearch, attempts to block large OP_RETURN data similarly failed and were rolled back, reinforcing that Bitcoin’s transaction policies are ultimately set by the network’s will, not centralized governance (source: BitMEX Research on X). According to @BitMEXResearch, traders should frame execution risk around mempool-driven dynamics—RBF usage, relay fee preferences, and miner policy signaling—since fee volatility and confirmations follow network incentives, not Core filters (source: BitMEX Research on X).

According to @adam3us, some Bitcoin Knots proponents may prefer operating blocks-only nodes to reduce exposure, likening the setup to leech mode in peer-to-peer file sharing, source: Adam Back via X. In blocks-only mode, nodes do not request or relay unconfirmed transactions and synchronize primarily through blocks, which limits local mempool visibility used for fee estimation and confirmation targeting, source: Bitcoin Core -blocksonly documentation. For BTC traders, reduced participation in mempool relay can make widely tracked fee-rate and mempool-size indicators less representative during congestion, affecting predictability of on-chain settlement times, source: Bitcoin Core -blocksonly documentation. Short-term execution strategies that rely on unconfirmed transaction flow should incorporate multiple full-relay data feeds or direct miner interfaces to mitigate blind spots, source: Bitcoin Core -blocksonly documentation.

According to Patrick McCorry, the current Bitcoin OP_RETURN governance dispute has turned toxic despite not involving a consensus rule change, highlighting that the issue is about policy-level standardness rather than base consensus. Source: Patrick McCorry on X. In Bitcoin Core, OP_RETURN handling is governed by standardness policy and not consensus, allowing nodes and miners to independently choose relay and inclusion behavior, which can alter transaction propagation and block composition. Source: Bitcoin Core documentation. Relay and inclusion policies directly affect mempool backlog and fee rates that traders monitor when assessing BTC liquidity and intraday volatility, making mempool size, feerate bands, and miner inclusion patterns key signals around this debate. Source: Bitcoin Core documentation on mempool and fee estimation.

According to @adam3us, nudging miners with education, outreach to switch to pools that do not include image-style 'JPEG' transactions, and fee-backed economic lobbying could reduce their inclusion in BTC blocks, indicating a push for stricter pool-level transaction policies, source: Adam Back (X, Sep 5, 2025). A coordinated mining-pool policy directly changes block templates and which transactions compete for scarce block space, thereby influencing the Bitcoin fee market, source: Bitcoin.org Developer Guide on Mining and Transaction Fees. Traders should monitor pool policy announcements, the share of blocks mined by pools that exclude such transactions, and median sat/vB fee levels as near-term catalysts for BTC on-chain costs and throughput, source: Bitcoin.org Mining overview; mining pool operator communications. A visible decline in these image-style transactions would be reflected in mempool composition and block contents, signaling potential easing of fee spikes that impact deposit and withdrawal costs for exchanges and users, source: Bitcoin.org Mempool and Fees documentation.

According to @adam3us, Bitcoin transaction relay filters "don’t work," and conflating the mempool with the peer-to-peer network misstates the issue, underscoring limits of node-level censorship (source: Adam Back on X, Sep 2, 2025). According to @adam3us, the dispute centers on relay versus mempool semantics, with the takeaway that the debate is about local policy rather than consensus changes, which is consistent with Bitcoin Core’s distinction between policy and consensus (source: Adam Back on X; Bitcoin Core policy documentation). According to Bitcoin Core documentation, relay and mempool behavior are governed by local policy and feerate thresholds, meaning nodes decide which transactions to forward and keep, which in turn shapes short-term fee floors and confirmation times when demand spikes (source: Bitcoin Core policy documentation; BIP-133 feefilter). According to BIP-133, nodes advertise minimum feerates for relay, influencing which transactions propagate promptly, so traders should track fee rates, mempool backlog, and miner revenue sensitivity during relay-policy debates highlighted by @adam3us (source: BIP-133; Adam Back on X).

According to @stonecoldpat0, there has been no Bitcoin spam for a while and he supports Bitcoin Core updating transaction relay rules, citing context from an @ercwl talk and stating it is not 2014 anymore, implying policy modernisation is warranted for the network stack. Source: @stonecoldpat0 on X, 2025-08-28. Relay rules determine which transactions nodes relay and accept into mempools, shaping propagation and standardness policies that directly influence throughput under load and the fee market during congestion. Source: Bitcoin Core policy and relay documentation; Bitcoin.org Developer Guide (Transactions, Mempool, and Fees). For BTC traders, any relay policy change can shift mempool composition and effective minimum fee rates for timely confirmations, so monitor mempool size and median fee-rate changes around implementation windows to manage slippage and settlement risk. Source: Bitcoin.org Developer Guide on fees and confirmation dynamics; Bitcoin Core policy documentation. Tactical takeaway: if mempool backlog rises and fee-rate floors climb following relay-policy adjustments, tighten intraday risk limits on on-chain settlement, widen withdrawal-fee assumptions for arbitrage legs, and prioritize high-fee, child-pays-for-parent strategies to maintain confirmation speed. Source: Bitcoin.org Developer Guide (fee estimation, CPFP mechanics); Bitcoin Core policy documentation.

According to @rovercrc, Bitcoin transaction fees measured by the 14-day SMA have fallen to their lowest level since 2011 (source: @rovercrc). He also reports that on-chain activity is quiet, indicating subdued demand for blockspace (source: @rovercrc). Lower fees reflect reduced competition for blockspace and lower fee revenue share for miners, increasing reliance on the fixed block subsidy under Bitcoin’s fee market design (source: Bitcoin.org Developer Guide). BTC traders can monitor fee trends and mempool congestion alongside the 14-day SMA to gauge shifts in on-chain demand and potential liquidity conditions in the spot and derivatives markets (source: Bitcoin.org Developer Guide; source: @rovercrc). The source frames this backdrop as reinforcing BTC’s store-of-value narrative, with holding behavior taking precedence over transactional throughput (source: @rovercrc).

According to BitMEX Research, traders and node operators have the option to refuse upgrading from Bitcoin Core 29.0, switch to another implementation, or continue using Bitcoin Core with the mempool feature disabled (source: BitMEX Research, Twitter, May 6, 2025). These choices may affect transaction processing speed, fee dynamics, and overall network participation, which could influence short-term Bitcoin price volatility and liquidity on major exchanges. Traders should closely monitor how large node operators respond, as it may impact mempool congestion and mining incentives, both critical for active trading strategies.

According to @BitMEXResearch, a suggestion has been made to @mempool to consider renaming Antpool, Poolin, Braiins Pool, and Binance Pool to 'AntPool & Friends' on their mining pool page. This proposal aims to simplify the representation of these major mining pools on the mempool's website, potentially making it easier for users to identify and understand the relationships between these entities. The request was highlighted in a tweet by @BitMEXResearch, referencing a detailed analysis available on b10c.me.

According to @OrangeSurfBTC, the Mempool Block Size Report explores the evolution of Bitcoin's block size since 2009, highlighting that miner behavior and Bitcoin Core defaults, rather than merely the 1 MB consensus limit, have significantly influenced block size growth. This report estimates that approximately 8% of the block size changes can be attributed to these factors, which is crucial for traders to understand as it affects transaction fees and confirmation times.