- Bitcoin DOG Mode raises relay transaction limits without changing Bitcoin consensus rules.
- The client lowers the dust limit to one satoshi, benefiting Ordinals and Runes users.
- DOG Mode bypasses Core relay policies while avoiding a hard fork or protocol changes.
Bitcoin Ordinals advocate Leonidas has unveiled Bitcoin DOG Mode, a proposed open-source Bitcoin client designed to bypass transaction relay restrictions enforced by Bitcoin Core. The initiative aims to expand access for Ordinals and Runes users by modifying relay policies without changing Bitcoin’s consensus rules or requiring a network fork.
Bitcoin DOG Mode Targets Relay Policy Restrictions
In a post on X on July 17, Leonidas announced Bitcoin DOG Mode, an alternative open-source Bitcoin client designed to remove relay restrictions enforced by Bitcoin Core and Bitcoin Knots.
He argued that some transactions comply with Bitcoin’s consensus rules but are still blocked by default relay policies because they are classified as “non-standard.”
The proposed client would increase the maximum standard transaction size from 400,000 weight units to 3.9 million weight units. As a result, users could broadcast transactions that occupy almost an entire Bitcoin block without relying on private arrangements with miners.
Bitcoin DOG Mode would also reduce the default dust limit from between 294 and 546 satoshis to one satoshi. According to Leonidas, this change would eliminate the need for extra “padding” in Ordinals inscriptions and Runes outputs while unlocking an estimated $25 million worth of satoshis currently tied to relay requirements.
I am very excited to announce the launch of a new open source Bitcoin client called Bitcoin $DOG Mode.
Bitcoin Core and Bitcoin Knots have spent years enforcing rules that Bitcoin itself does not have.
A transaction can be fully valid under consensus and still be blocked from… pic.twitter.com/WCJ9roEkeo
— Leonidas 🧡 $DOG (@LeonidasNFT) July 17, 2026
He stated that the software would make only minimal code changes compared with Bitcoin Core. Therefore, it would remain fully compatible with Bitcoin’s existing consensus rules and would not require a hard fork or any network-wide upgrade.
Leonidas also invited Bitcoin developers to contribute to the project’s initial release while encouraging miners to support DOG Mode transactions through their mining operations.
Proposal Extends Debate Over Bitcoin Data Policies
The announcement follows years of debate over Bitcoin’s handling of non-financial data, including Ordinals inscriptions and Runes tokens. Supporters argue these applications expand Bitcoin’s utility, while critics believe they consume valuable block space and increase network congestion.
Leonidas said the DOG community previously bypassed Bitcoin Core’s relay limits by sending large transactions directly to miners. These included what he described as the largest Bitcoin transaction and the largest Bitcoin airdrop after Core refused to relay them because of policy restrictions.
He also noted that Bitcoin Core later relaxed some default policies through Core v30, including removing the previous 83-byte OP_RETURN limit and lowering the minimum default relay fee. Leonidas argued these updates showed that relay policies could evolve when users and miners adopted alternative approaches.
The proposal also arrives as BIP-110, which seeks to restrict non-financial Bitcoin data through a consensus change, continues to receive limited support from miners and node operators. Unlike that proposal, Bitcoin DOG Mode focuses only on relay policy, allowing compatible nodes and willing miners to process valid transactions without altering Bitcoin’s consensus mechanism.
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