Version 30.0 of Bitcoin Core is now available, marking the project’s first major release since version 29 and closing the book on legacy branches 27.x and earlier, which are now labeled “end of life.” Release the governors Notes State clearly: “With the release of this new major release, versions 27.x and earlier are in ‘end of life’ mode and will no longer receive updates.” The new binaries and full notes are available directly on the project’s website, and the team is also publishing a brief launch confirmation on X.
Bitcoin Core V30 is here
The most controversial change in version 30 is the policy update around OP_RETURN – the script path used for provably non-spendable outputs that can carry arbitrary data. Bitcoin Core has raised the default data carrier size limit to 100,000 bytes, and now allows multiple data carrier outputs (OP_RETURN) in a single transaction for relaying and mining. Importantly, node operators can still restore previous behavior: “It can be overridden with -datacarriersize=83 to revert to the limit imposed in previous versions.” The total size limit applies to all OP_RETURN outputs in the transaction.
This hypothetical increase—functionally “uncapping” the data carrier size because the transaction size cap would be met first—sparked a broader debate about what kinds of activities should be favored or discouraged by Bitcoin’s policy layer. Developers and contract operators who support the change frame it as neutral plumbing that preserves operator choice; Critics warn that it invites more non-monetary inscriptions and potential spam, which increases the storage and validation burdens of the average node.
After OP_RETURN, version 30 introduces a long list of network, wallet, and tool updates. The P2P layer improves packet relay so that common topologies such as grandparent-parent-child or multi-parent-child can propagate more reliably when only one predecessor needs to raise charges. Transaction Orphan introduces stronger DoS limits based on total entries and weight across peers, replacing the now retired -maxorphantx handle.
Miners get a demo IPC mining interface accessible through a new comprehensive Bitcoin command that also provides convenient aliases — “Bitcoin Node,” “Bitcoin GUI,” and “Bitcoin RBC” — without deprecating existing binaries. External signing has been re-enabled on Windows, and the Coinstats index has been reworked to avoid the overflow error appearing on the default Signet, requiring a one-time resynchronization of this index.
The default settings for the fee policy also change. The minimum block fee setting (-blockmintxfee) now defaults to 0.001 sat/vB, while the minimum for paging and incremental paging is 0.1 sat/vB by default. The notes emphasize that unless these lower assumptions are widely adopted, publication and confirmation will not be assured; The wallet fees themselves do not change without explicit configuration.
The OP_RETURN policy change has quickly extended beyond developer channels and into Bitcoin’s public discourse, with long-time contributors and post editors lining up on both sides. While Bitcoin Core 30.0’s larger data transfer default and allowing multiple OP_RETURN outputs are seen by proponents as policy-neutral and modifiable at the node level; Critics argue that there is a trend of abuse that distorts the critical focus of the network which could lead to a total split.
At press time, Bitcoin was trading at $114,455.
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