Bitcoin core maintainer Gloria Zhao steps down

Gloria Zhao, a Bitcoin Core developer and fellow at Brink who focuses mainly on mempool validation and transaction relay, has withdrawn from her position and revoked her cryptographic signing key.

Following her decision, reports from sources noted that this recognition act is a common practice in the crypto industry, in which a maintainer steps down from their position without affecting BTCs consensus rules, network security, or transaction processing. The report disclosed this finding, citing several recent trends in resignations.

Several maintainers opt to minimize their involvement in the Bitcoin blockchain community

Maintainers of Bitcoin Core, a small, trusted group of developers with special access to the codebase, function like “janitors” of the project and are responsible for reviewing and approving code updates and digitally signing official releases with cryptographic keys. 

Regarding this role, sources noted that Zhao had been involved with Bitcoin Core for more than 6 years, specializing in key areas such as mempool policy, transaction relay, and fee estimation. 

During the exercise of her duties, she greatly enhanced network efficiency, but her contributions did not alter Bitcoin’s consensus rules. Seeing her contribution to the crypto industry, many individuals raised concerns about her sudden decision. These concerns prompted reports to reach out to Zhao for clarity on her reasons for leaving, a common occurrence in open-source projects. Nonetheless, she declined to respond to the request. 

Meanwhile, in an attempt to address the controversy, a report noted that in the BTC blockchain community, maintainers frequently opt to minimize their involvement due to funding changes, sustainability issues, or personal commitments.

Despite this explanation, conflicting viewpoints within the cryptocurrency sector, as illustrated by widely circulated ‘BREAKING’ announcements on X following a post from an individual with the username @JacobKinge, cast doubt on her resignation being tied to controversial figures from Bitcoin’s development history.

However, analysts stressed that social media is a polished, incomplete picture of reality. This was after they discovered that the sources they provided failed to establish a direct link between Zhao and wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein. Instead, they refer to an indirect, early funding arrangement in Bitcoin’s development.

The reason behind Zhao’s resignation sparks heated discussions in the ecosystem 

Concerning this early funding arrangement in BTC’s development, reports from reliable sources revealed that Epstein made donations to MIT, including the MIT Media Lab, from 2002 to 2017. Following the collapse of the Bitcoin Foundation, sources noted a funding shortage for Bitcoin Core development in 2015. At this particular moment, the MIT Digital Currency Initiative (DCI) provided temporary backing to select Bitcoin Core developers to ensure project continuity.

Later, after a thorough investigation, reports disclosed that some funds from MIT were linked directly to Epstein’s donations during that period.

However, there was insufficient evidence to support the claim that he provided direct funds to any individual developers or exerted influence over Bitcoin Core’s code or decision-making processes. 

At the time, it was confirmed that Zhao did not participate in Bitcoin Core during the MIT funding period in 2015. Sources familiar with the situation alleged that she initiated her contributions during the 2019–2020 period.

Moreover, no records exist indicating that she received funding from the MIT DCI or funds connected to Epstein, or that she had any contact with figures from the Epstein era regarding funding or governance.

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