16th Anniversary of Bitcoin's Genesis Block: A Look Back at the Controversy in the 2013 Bitcoin.org News Center

In April 2013, the "Bitcoin News Center" page on Bitcoin.org sparked a debate about who could represent Bitcoin. Although this controversy seemed trivial, it actually touched on broader issues such as the essence of Bitcoin and its development direction.

At that time, Bitcoin developer Mike Hearn proposed the establishment of a news center page on Bitcoin.org to list media contacts. However, there was disagreement over who should be included in the list. Some developers believed that individuals like Roger Ver and Jon Matonis should not be included due to their controversial political positions, while others felt that such exclusion contradicted the spirit of Bitcoin.

The controversy quickly evolved into a debate about the nature of Bitcoin. Supporters argue that Bitcoin represents a revolution and should not shy away from its rebellious nature; opponents wish to maintain political neutrality to attract mainstream acceptance. Both sides engaged in intense discussions on the BitcoinTalk forum and GitHub.

Finally, the news center page went live, but it did not include Ver and Matonis. This sparked more dissatisfaction, and Andreas Antonopoulos and others strongly criticized the decision. Antonopoulos then created a new website that provided a broader contact list.

By January 2014, Bitcoin.org had removed the controversial news center page and instead recommended the Bitcoin Foundation and Antonopoulos' website. This event highlighted the divisions within the Bitcoin community regarding centralization and representation issues, and it also reflected the contradiction between the decentralized nature of Bitcoin and the realities of demand.