Another Bitcoin Core Developer Steps Down

Marco Falke, who has been a key contributor to Bitcoin Core for the past seven years, has decided to leave the project, citing a mismatch with his current role.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Falke has been one of the most prolific contributors to Bitcoin Core, making over 2,000 changes to the Bitcoin codebase during his tenure.

On February 21, the veteran developer announced his resignation on Twitter:

“I have been maintaining and reviewing quality for Bitcoin Core changes for about 7 years. After much consideration, I have decided to end my role as a maintainer.”

Despite his departure, Falke reaffirmed his passion for Bitcoin and expressed optimism about the cryptocurrency's future, though he acknowledged that his role was no longer a good fit.

During his seven years with Bitcoin Core, Falke was sponsored for three years by crypto exchange OKcoin and investment fund Paradigm. However, last month, these sponsors indicated they would be adjusting the one-year grant for Falke.

In the past 18 months, Bitcoin Core has seen five key maintainers depart the project, including John Newbery, Samuel Dobson, Peter Wuille, and most recently, Wladimir van der Laan.

With Falke’s exit, the Bitcoin Core maintenance team now consists of just four members: Hennadii Stepanov, Michael Ford, Andrew Chow, and Gloria Zhao, who are responsible for overseeing the codebase behind the world's leading cryptocurrency.

This series of departures has raised concerns about the internal dynamics of the project. The challenges may stem from the pressures of maintaining the integrity of the world's largest cryptocurrency and the legal tensions surrounding it.