Bitcoin XT Official Launch
Gavin Andresen and Mike Hearn launch Bitcoin XT, a controversial hard fork proposal to raise block size to 8MB.
On August 15, 2015, Bitcoin XT officially launched, proposing an alternative implementation of Bitcoin with an 8MB block size and a path toward future scalability. The release marked the first high-profile public schism over Bitcoin governance, sparking intense debate among developers, miners, exchanges, and the broader community.
Bitcoin XT received early support from some mining pools and individuals concerned about transaction congestion and rising fees, but also faced criticism for bypassing the existing consensus process and risking network fragmentation. The event highlighted the growing tension between on-chain scaling solutions, community governance, and the decentralized nature of protocol upgrades.Although Bitcoin XT ultimately failed to gain lasting adoption, its launch became a reference point in the history of Bitcoin governance, illustrating the challenges of evolving a decentralized network while balancing technical innovation with social consensus.