What is a client you ask?
It is software which allows access to a network.
You can easily compare it to an “internet browser” like Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Brave browser, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Tor,…

Bitcoin relies on a decentralized and distributed network where various nodes help to upkeep the network. These nodes do so through dedicated clients (Bitcoin Core, Bitcoin Knots and now Bit-Block).
These clients each have there own configurations and settings which can be user customized.

The configuration options exist in order to transmit information to the network which the user feels as “important” and belonging on the network.
Sadly enough, ever since the advent of “Ordinals” (see dedicated entry by clicking here), is the Bitcoin network seeing “spam” problems. Bad actors uploading unconventional data to the network which not only bloat the blockchain but cause synchronization issues as well as congestion (transactions taking MUCH longer to be confirmed) as a result.

There are many people who support Bitcoin and want to start mining or noderunning. Sadly enough is not everyone is as tech-savvy and some people rely on default settings of the software they run. While this is a great thing for adding security to the network, it does not help to slow down or even halt the current spam problem.

In 2025 did matters become worse in regards to spam as there are bad actors who gained major influence in the Bitcoin Core client development, actively pushing changes to change Bitcoin into a data-storing cloud service for any and all files. As a result did Bitcoin Knots become the second biggest client due to its standard configuration and anti-spam possibilities.

As a result did we see a TREMENDOUS rise of node-runners switching to Bitcoin Knots and even more people getting on-boarded due to them wanting to keep Bitcoin as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system.

Myself, I’ve been running a Bitcoin node for several years.
First through an old Bitcoin Core client version.
Since Q2 of 2024 through Bitcoin Knots when discussing anti-ordinals tactics with Luke Dash Jr.

Following development of Bitcoin Knots, I was happy to see the ease of configuration of the client to take drastic anti-spam measures. But as the Ordinals hype faded, runes were introduced (which intensified spam) and the upcoming Core V30 changes which comply and allow for spam to more easily propagate (see entry here), a more hardened approach is needed.

From my own experience with Bitcoin Knots, I know that the default settings are strict but do not live up to the action to be taken. Bitcoin Knots, despite being extremist painted as “anti-spam” is in all actuality a fairly neutral client. The client, as a default, is run as a more user-customizable Core V28 client which allows the noderunner more control… but it still requires the user to search (albeit more easily accessible) for the correct settings to start filtering spam.

This is why I started to develop Bit-block.

Bit-Block is a fork of Bitcoin Knots and defaults all anti-spam measures. Like KNOTS is it configurable through a GUI but unlike KNOTS are its default settings set to be anti-spam by default. This is done for the not so tech-savvy people to just run the software and to stop propagating trash data on the network.

V01.00 to be launched soon!
Code available on Github.