Catenaa, Tuesday, October 28, 2025- Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 444, or BIP-444, has ignited debate among developers by calling for a temporary soft fork to restrict arbitrary data in transactions on the blockchain.
The proposal follows the October launch of Bitcoin Core v30, which removed limits on OP_RETURN data, allowing users to attach larger amounts of arbitrary data to transactions.
Supporters of BIP-444 say unrestricted data could expose node operators to legal liability if illegal content, such as child sexual abuse material, is stored on the blockchain.
Under BIP-444, OP_RETURN outputs would be capped at 83 bytes, most other script outputs limited to 34 bytes, and certain script functions would be disabled, including methods used by Ordinals inscriptions.
The changes would last about a year, giving developers time to explore longer-term solutions.
The proposal was submitted by a new GitHub user, “Dathon Ohm,” with no apparent Bitcoin development history.
Supporters like longtime developer Luke Dashjr argue the temporary soft fork is a simple, targeted measure to protect node operators and network security.
Critics, including Ordinals advocates and security experts, contend that arbitrary data has been part of Bitcoin since its inception and restricting it constitutes censorship.
They warn that such moves could set dangerous precedents for limiting permissionless use of the blockchain.
BIP-444 has not yet been formally submitted to the Bitcoin Development Mailing List, and the wider developer community continues to debate its necessity and implications for Bitcoin’s core principles.
