Re: The Cat, BIP draft discussion.

In a recent discussion within the Bitcoin Development Mailing List, significant concerns were raised concerning proposed modifications to the Bitcoin protocol. The primary issue addressed involved the suggestion to exclude unspendable outputs from the Unspent Transaction Outputs (UTXO) set through a protocol upgrade. This proposal is seen as straightforward and not contentious, indicating an acceptance of protocol-level adjustments for network optimization.

However, a more controversial topic was brought up regarding the treatment of Ordinals within transactions. The debate centers on whether differentiating between UTXOs at a consensus level, potentially as part of transaction validation rules, is advisable or detrimental. The critical argument presented is that such differentiation could severely undermine the integrity and functionality of Bitcoin. It's highlighted as a risky path, possibly more damaging than any previous spam attacks on the network. This discussion points to a broader concern within the community about how changes to consensus rules can impact Bitcoin's stability and trustworthiness.