Overview

• The upcoming release adjusts default mempool policy to relay larger aggregate OP_RETURN data and permit multiple data‑carrier outputs per transaction, with the -datacarriersize setting deprecated and repurposed.
• A second test build is live and a late‑October rollout is tentatively targeted, though ongoing community debate could affect the timeline.
• Nick Szabo cautioned that easily retrievable, contiguous data may strengthen claims that full‑node operators had knowledge of illicit content, increasing legal exposure.
• Proponents argue directing non‑payment data into prunable OP_RETURN outputs reduces harm compared with hidden, non‑prunable encodings, and note operators can set stricter local limits.
• The dispute reaches beyond code into philosophy and policy, with suggested mitigations including throttling app‑level storage and retrieval of generic media and shifting legal focus toward transaction signers.