Proposal to solve the spam war: configurable data blob relay policy

In a recent exchange on the Bitcoin Development Mailing List, participants discussed the implications of a proposal related to posting data on the blockchain. The core issue revolves around how data is disseminated among participants in the Bitcoin network. Traditionally, the blockchain has served as a public bulletin board, where the inclusion of 140 bytes of data ensures that this information is spread across all network participants.

A new proposal was brought to the table, suggesting that transactions could include an OP_RETURN operation containing a hash of the data instead of the data itself. This method theoretically offers a streamlined way to reference larger datasets without cluttering the blockchain with extensive data. However, concerns were raised about the practicality and reliability of this approach. Specifically, there's a risk that a transaction containing only a hash might be mined and added to the blockchain without the associated data ever being transmitted through the Bitcoin network. This scenario could undermine the integrity of the blockchain as a reliable public ledger, since the guarantee of data dissemination to all network participants would no longer hold.

The discussion highlights the need for careful consideration of how changes to data handling and transaction structures could impact the fundamental principles of blockchain technology, especially in terms of data availability and network reliability.