Bitcoin Developer Luke Dashjr Denies Hard Fork Proposal as BTC Governance Debate Intensifies

Bitcoin's ongoing governance discussions reached new intensity this week as veteran developer Luke Dashjr faced allegations regarding protocol changes. The controversy emerged following a September 25th article claiming Dashjr, maintainer of Bitcoin Knots software, supported a hard fork that would establish a multisig committee with blockchain modification powers. A blockchain hard fork represents a permanent divergence requiring all participants to upgrade to incompatible software. The report cited purported leaked messages where Dashjr allegedly stated Bitcoin must either "die or trust someone," sparking widespread discussion across social media platforms about Bitcoin's future as a neutral settlement layer versus a filtered network. Dashjr categorically denied these claims, stating he "has not proposed a hardfork or anything of the sort" and characterizing the allegations as attempts to undermine his Bitcoin preservation efforts. He repeatedly emphasized "There is no hard fork" throughout the subsequent 24-hour period. The dispute highlights the philosophical divide between Dashjr's Bitcoin Knots project, which enforces stricter transaction policies including blocking Ordinals inscriptions, and Bitcoin Core's more permissive approach. Interestingly, Taproot Wizards co-founder Udi Wertheimer, whose Ordinals project typically opposes Dashjr's views, defended the developer, calling the report "fake news" and a "propaganda piece." Meanwhile, BTC experienced a 2.2% decline to approximately $109,000, contributing to a 5.5% weekly drop. While no direct correlation to the controversy exists, market uncertainty often amplifies downward pressure during protocol-related discussions.