Bitcoin Knots
A long-running variant of Bitcoin Core with stricter defaults and extra options.
In plain words
Bitcoin Knots is Bitcoin Core with sterner defaults. Same rules, same coin, same blocks — but stricter about which unconfirmed transactions it will pass along, filtering out data-stuffing "spam." Developer Luke Dashjr has maintained it since 2011. Running Knots is a statement of manners, not a new currency: Knots nodes and Core nodes agree on every block.
Why it matters
- Proof you can dissent on policy without splitting the money.
- Its popularity jumps whenever the filtering fight flares.
- Same blocks, different manners — relay policy is not consensus.
Numbers that matter
- 2011 — maintained continuously since.
Not to be confused with
- A hard fork — Knots doesn't change what makes a block valid; altcoin forks do.
Go deeper
Updated 2026-07-29