2月中旬，华尔街日报的报道《Bitcoin’s Future Depends on a Handful of Mysterious Coders》引发了广泛讨论。这类报道往往让公众误以为加密货币领域混乱且高度中心化，但实际上，比特币的开发与维护远比标题所暗示的更为复杂和去中心化。
The Mysterious Engineers Behind Bitcoin
According to the report, there were only six Bitcoin Core maintainers at the time of publication. However, since then, Wladimir van der Laan—the lead maintainer since 2014—announced his departure due to burnout and health issues. Over the past 18 months, four other maintainers have also resigned, citing similar reasons like exhaustion and legal risks.
Days after van der Laan's announcement, another core maintainer, MarcoFalke, tweeted his intention to step down. This has raised concerns about the future of Bitcoin’s development ecosystem.
👉 Want to understand Bitcoin’s decentralization better? Explore more here.
What Do Bitcoin Core Maintainers Actually Do?
Jameson Lopp, a prominent Bitcoin developer and CTO at Casa, explained the role of maintainers in a 2018 blog post. He noted:
Maintainers act as gatekeepers for Bitcoin’s code repository. Their role isn’t to dictate changes but to ensure that proposed updates meet strict quality standards. Without such oversight, the codebase could become chaotic.
Bitcoin Core is client software, meaning node operators and users voluntarily choose which version to run. The maintainers don’t enforce updates, and the community can fork the project if necessary—proving that Bitcoin isn’t controlled by a handful of people.
Hundreds of Developers Contribute to Bitcoin’s Code
Jameson Lopp also highlighted that even the most active developers submit code that isn’t always merged. While only core maintainers have final commit privileges, hundreds of developers have contributed over the years.
James Butterfill, Head of Research at CoinShares, refuted the Wall Street Journal’s claims:
Bitcoin’s development is collaborative, involving contributors worldwide. According to CoinShares, Bitcoin had ~475 active developers in December 2022, with ~300 consistently contributing—a sizable and decentralized group.
👉 Discover how Bitcoin’s open-source model ensures resilience
Funding Bitcoin Development: A Critical Challenge
Beyond sensational headlines, Bitcoin’s development funding deserves attention. Unlike Ethereum, which has the deep-pocketed Ethereum Foundation, Bitcoin relies on donations from companies like Block. However, bear markets often strain these contributions.
FAQs About Bitcoin Core Maintainers
1. How many Bitcoin Core maintainers are there?
As of recent reports, only four active maintainers remain, down from six earlier this year.
2. Can Bitcoin Core maintainers change Bitcoin’s rules?
No. Maintainers review code but can’t force changes—node operators decide which software to run.
3. What happens if maintainers disagree with the community?
The community can fork Bitcoin, as seen with Bitcoin Cash in 2017.
4. How decentralized is Bitcoin’s development?
Extremely. Hundreds of developers contribute, and no single entity controls the network.
5. Why are maintainers resigning?
Burnout, legal risks, and personal health issues are common reasons.
6. Where does Bitcoin development funding come from?
Primarily from corporate donations (e.g., Block) and community grants.
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