The most bizarre thing just happened on Bitcoin.org and r/bitcoin, and it finally puts some pieces of the Bitcoin puzzle together. Thursday morning, Cobra-Bitcoin unilaterally changed the Bitcoin.org website to recommend an alternative implementation of Bitcoin software called Bitcoin Knots. The page read:

For many years, bitcoin.org has hosted and prominently encouraged users to adopt Bitcoin Core, the leading Bitcoin full node software today. In the near future, we plan to promote Bitcoin Knots as an alternative to Bitcoin Core.

Bitcoin Knots is a compatible derivative of Bitcoin Core with many added improvements. This will mean the software presented on the download page will be Knots and not Core. Knots is reasonably robust and reliable software (although understandably less well-tested) and we recommend you upgrade if you feel comfortable doing so.

There was no discussion beforehand within the Bitcoin community. It was a unilateral decision by one person. The change has since been reverted .

Right after changing the Bitcoin.org website, Cobra-Bitcoin posted to the r/bitcoin subreddit reading “ Bitcoin.org plans to support Bitcoin Knots ”

As usual, lots of censorship has ensued. Since nobody knew anything about this beforehand, Cobra has gotten lots of criticism. What’s especially weird is that Luke-jr has been actively responding to everybody in that thread, apparently defending Cobra’s decision and also supporting the Bitcoin Knots software. Why is this a red flag?

Luke-jr is the lead maintainer of Bitcoin Knots . It’s his pet project.

So, here’s a theory. I don’t know if it’s true, but it sure does explain a lot. As a long-time Bitcoiner, I've been saddened and confused by the fracturing of the Bitcoin community - and the irrational devotion to 1mb-only blocks, which nobody considered reasonable just a few years ago. Here's a guess why:

Luke-jr is Cobra-Bitcoin , and he’s the reason that the Bitcoin community has splintered over the past few years. He is actively trying to harm Bitcoin .

If Luke isn't the same person as Cobra, they work very closely together, towards the same end. Now, I know that sounds conspiratorial, but in fact, if there’s been anybody involved in Bitcoin who could be responsible for so much division, it’s Luke-jr. Not because he’s personally malicious, but because he’s mentally unstable and has been manipulated by malicious actors.

Governments have every incentive to try to destroy Bitcoin and its community. If you don’t understand why, then you don’t understand Bitcoin. If I were a powerful state actor, looking to find a way to hamper Bitcoin, Luke-jr is the perfect insider to corrupt . I’ll explain why:

If you wanted to try to harm Bitcoin from the inside, you’d need somebody with:

a) Technical knowledge of Bitcoin b) High-level connections within the community c) A belief system which permits censorship and manipulation of information channels d) A motive for harming Bitcoin

Luke-jr fits all of these criteria perfectly. There’s no doubt that he’s got advanced technical knowledge of Bitcoin and connections within the community. But he’s also got completely insane beliefs which justify total submission to government . He has the stereotypical religious-extremist mindset, that turns regular people into suicide bombers in an attempt to submit to the will of God.

So, if a state actor were looking for an inside connection to harm Bitcoin, Luke-jr perfectly fits the bill.

Luke-jr might be the primary person responsible for harming Bitcoin, censoring discussion, and sowing dissent in the community because he has been told to do so by government, and he is submitting to their requests out of religious devotion .

Here’s some evidence that indeed, Luke is a Catholic extremist and willing to submit to government decrees. The internet is filled with insane Luke-jr quotes, but here are a few notable ones :

Martin Luther was a faithful servant of Satan. He ought to have been put to death by the State for his crimes - their failure to do so has resulted in the loss of many souls.

And,

The ideal king would not permit heretics to preach or worship openly (including appropriate censorship of condemned literature), and would proscribe execution for those who did so after warning and jail time (including if they preached while in jail).

Catholic clergy's right to be judged only by their peers (other clergy, never laymen) would of course be respected. There would be no public schools (aside from those operated by the Church). Sodomy would be punishable by death if publicly proven.

And,

Conversion to Catholicism (the one true Church) is the only solution, as all other religions are evil and lead to Hell.

That heretics be burned is against the will of the Spirit." is a teaching of Luther's, which was condemned by Pope Leo X in Exsurge Domine. In other words, it was not against the will of the Spirit that they are to burned. As a general principle, it is moral for the State to execute criminals with due process, including heretics.

Somebody followed up, "You think it's ok to burn people alive? The Catholic Church currently disagrees even with the death penalty, just so you know."

To which Luke reponded,

" Alive" was not in the statement, but it doesn't seem unreasonable to think it would be okay . Of course, if the Church says otherwise, I defer."

Here's another,

Slavery, while far from ideal, is not itself immoral.

And what must certainly be an egregious lie (or more evidence of mental instability),

I am not aware of any evidence that /r/Bitcoin engages in censorship.

When asked about participating in Bitcoin development - which seems like a very non-submissive thing to do, he responded:

If my government simply ASKS me to stop [developing Bitcoin], I will submit as a faithful subject. Disobedience is not something I consider acceptable ...

I guess my point here is: please don't try to make the government pissed off at Bitcoin . ;)

There are many more examples like this. Apparently, he also believes the Sun revolves around the earth, etc. Normally, it would be polite to sit back and say, "Well, he's just got some crazy religious beliefs, but that's his personal business."

In this case, I don't think that's smart. We have lots and lots of red flags that Luke-jr has the technological ability and mindset to harm Bitcoin. He is a religious extremist who, like many radicalized zealots, try to live their faith by practicing submission to God - and in Luke's case, submitting to government is the same thing as submitting to God, since governments are ordained by God.

So, if you've been looking for an explanation to the question, "What the heck happened to Bitcoin?", now you may have one. A key player - who may have access to all the main information channels if he is Cobra, or if he's closely working with him - is submitting to his God. Malicious actors (probably governments) have used him to harm Bitcoin and split the community.