Gloria Zhao, a pivotal Bitcoin Core developer and maintainer, has stepped down from her influential role, concluding a significant six-year tenure as one of the project's guardians. Her departure marks a notable event in the open-source Bitcoin development community, given her extensive technical contributions and the controversial circumstances surrounding her exit.
A Legacy of Technical Advancement
As the first known female maintainer of Bitcoin Core since 2022, Zhao's work predominantly focused on critical aspects of mempool policy and transaction relay. She played an instrumental role in designing and implementing key upgrades, including package relay (BIP 331) and Topologically Restricted Until Confirmation (TRUC, BIP 431), alongside enhancements to replace-by-fee (RBF) and broader P2P behavior. These efforts were crucial in making transaction fee increases more reliable and reducing censorship risks within the network. Beyond her technical prowess, Zhao actively fostered the next generation of developers, mentoring new contributors and co-leading the Bitcoin Core PR Review Club, thereby ensuring the continuity of robust development practices. Her work was supported by Brink, the Human Rights Foundation's Bitcoin Development Fund, and Spiral.
Resignation Amidst Contentious Disputes
Zhao's resignation follows a period of intense public contention, particularly a year-long dispute between Bitcoin Core and Bitcoin Knots regarding the removal of OP_RETURN limits. This conflict centered on whether Bitcoin's default node software should restrict the use of block space for non-monetary data. The controversy escalated into personal attacks, prompting Zhao to delete her X account in 2025 after a livestream where her credentials were publicly questioned by another developer. While some in the community celebrated her departure, many expressed deep dismay, viewing her exit as a tragic consequence of sustained harassment. Commentators like Pledditor and Chris Seedor lamented the "terrible precedent" set, highlighting concerns over bullying within the open-source development sphere.
