“The Cat” Sparks Debate Over Bitcoin Property Rights

[cryptoenthusiast]

The proposed “Cat” Bitcoin Improvement Proposal raises questions about property rights and protocol authority. Supporters see it as a necessary measure against non-monetary blockchain spam, while critics warn it could set a precedent for future coin confiscation.

Bitcoin Core developer Greg Maxwell called the proposal “asset seizure,” arguing modest storage gains don’t justify disabling valid UTXOs. Others, including Ataraxia 009, describe it as a slippery slope that could allow the protocol to judge the legitimacy of transactions.

As the community weighs the trade-offs, the discussion underscores Bitcoin’s ongoing struggle to balance scalability, spam mitigation, and its foundational principles.