Bitcoin’s spam war in 2025: The division of ideology and the risk-reward trade-off of long-term value

Bitcoin’s spam war in 2025 sparked a fierce ideological battle about its core identity on its network, with its store of value against the role of the decentralized data layer. By August 2025, more than 100 million JPEG images will be processed, with annualized costs up to $250 million, and this surge in arbitrary data has sparked debate over network congestion, regulatory risks and potentially illegal content. Proponents advocate for amplification of utility, such as on-chain NFTs, while critics warn that this will undermine Bitcoin’s anti-censorship spirit. The conflict is exactly the same as past governance struggles, with miners having limited motivation to curb spam despite expense income. Investors weigh the risks of rising transaction costs and regulatory rebounds with returns such as innovation and enhanced scrutiny resistance.