Bitcoin Knots Tightens Grip, Snags Over a Quarter of Network Nodes

Five days ago, the alternative Bitcoin software client Bitcoin Knots sat at 19%. By this weekend, it had climbed past 25% of nodes, tying up a bigger slice of the network and giving the client a heftier presence than it had earlier in the week.

Core’s Latest Uptick Looks Tepid Next to Knots’ Swaggering Node Jump

As of Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, Bitcoin Knots clients didn’t just tiptoe past the 25% mark—they strutted up to 25.45%, according to Coin Dance node metrics. Fans are hitching their wagons to Knots for its no-nonsense policy rules and its knack for tossing out unwanted transfer baggage, a combo many say keeps Bitcoin’s monetary backbone firm while boosting client diversity ahead of the fireworks in Bitcoin Core version 30.

Node summary according to Coin Dance stats on Sept. 14, 2025. The gripes about Core’s looming v30 aren’t exactly whispers. At the top of the list: axing the old 80–90 byte OP_RETURN cap and rolling out bloated data allowances per transaction. Detractors warn this could turn Bitcoin into a spam magnet, confuse node operators, complicate data filtering, and, in a worst-case scenario, send nodes crashing in flames if malware finds a playground in cloud setups.

Five days ago, on Sept. 9, 2025, Bitcoin Core counted 18,758 nodes. Today, that tally nudged up to 19,048—a modest 1.54% lift. Knots, however, wasn’t playing small ball, jumping from 4,417 nodes to a hefty 6,518 and stealing the show from Core’s slow crawl. Knots has clocked a hefty 47.60% jump in the same stretch, turning its growth spurt into a headline act while leaving Core’s modest climb looking like a warm-up lap.

On the other hand, some Bitcoin Core loyalists have cried foul, accusing Knots node operators of puffing up their numbers with a Sybil stunt—allegedly making nearly 40% of Knots nodes little more than clones or fakes to pad their stats. Those cries, though, have been met with raised eyebrows and skepticism, and Knots’ growth continues undeterred.

Not following the debate? This article offers a clear breakdown of what’s happening.

In recent times, Bitcoin’s node wars are starting to feel less like quiet software choices and more like a high-stakes popularity contest. To supporters, Knots is flexing swagger while Core clings to its traditional crown. Whether this trend is a passing fashion or a lasting shift, the message is clear: diversity is no longer optional, it’s the network’s latest power play.