Differences from Bitcoin Core
Bitcoin Knots includes numerous enhancements over Bitcoin Core. This page summarizes the key differences.
Consensus
Bitcoin Knots follows identical consensus rules to Bitcoin Core. Your node validates blocks exactly the same way — until the BIP-110/RDTS soft fork shipped in v29.3 activates (scheduled for ~September 2026), and only in the RDTS-enforcing build. See below.
The differences are in:
- Default policy settings
- Available configuration options
- Additional features and RPC commands
- User interface improvements
Consensus (BIP-110 / RDTS)
Since v29.3, the standard Bitcoin Knots build (v29.3.knots20260508) includes the BIP-110 Reduced Data Temporary Softfork (RDTS) and will enforce it on its deployment schedule. The build asks for your explicit confirmation — via a GUI prompt at startup, or in bitcoin.conf:
# Confirm the BIP-110/RDTS upgrade (Knots 29.3+); bitcoind warns hourly until set
consensusrules=rdts
Note that this setting records confirmation — it does not toggle enforcement. Users who don't want RDTS enforcement at all should run the parallel non-RDTS build (v29.3.knots20260507). See BIP-110 / RDTS Integration for the full mechanics and the BIP-110 guide for background.
Policy Differences
Mempool & Relay Policies
| Feature | Bitcoin Core | Bitcoin Knots |
|---|---|---|
datacarriersize | No limit since v30 (default 100kB); 83-byte scriptPubKey limit before v30 | Configurable (default 83, traditionally 42) |
datacarriercost | N/A | Configurable weight multiplier |
rejecttokens | N/A | Filter BRC-20/token transactions |
rejectparasites | N/A | Filter CAT21 spam transactions (on by default) |
bytespersigopstrict | N/A | Minimum bytes per sigop in relayed/mined transactions (default 20) |
dustdynamic | N/A | Dynamic dust threshold |
permitbarepubkey | N/A | Bare pubkey output policy |
Example: Filtering Spam
# Reject CAT21 spam and Runes tokens
rejectparasites=1
rejecttokens=1
# Or set very low data carrier limit
datacarriersize=42
Wallet Features
Legacy Wallet Support
Bitcoin Core removed legacy (BDB) wallets entirely in Core 30. Knots maintains support:
# Create a legacy wallet (Knots)
bitcoin-cli createwallet "mylegacy" false false "" false false
# Legacy wallet features remain available
bitcoin-cli dumpprivkey <address>
Additional Wallet Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
sweepprivkeys | Sweep funds from private keys into the wallet (p2wpkh/p2tr support since v29.3) |
dumpmasterprivkey | Export HD master private key |
Codex32 Support
Knots includes Codex32 seed phrase import for hardware wallet recovery.
RPC Enhancements
New Commands
# List mempool transactions (Knots)
bitcoin-cli listmempooltransactions
# Get block file locations
bitcoin-cli getblocklocations <blockhash>
# Fee histogram data
bitcoin-cli getmempoolinfo true
Enhanced Commands
Many existing commands have additional options:
# getblocktemplate with extended options
bitcoin-cli getblocktemplate '{"rules": ["segwit"], "capabilities": ["proposal"]}'
# Enhanced createrawtransaction
bitcoin-cli createrawtransaction [...] # Additional fee options
GUI Improvements
| Feature | Bitcoin Core | Bitcoin Knots |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Mode | No | Yes |
| Network Monitor | Basic | Enhanced |
| Mempool Stats Widget | No | Yes |
| Block Explorer View | No | Yes |
| Tor GUI Pairing | No | Yes |
Enabling Dark Mode
Dark mode support is native in Knots: the GUI automatically detects your operating system's theme and adjusts its colors accordingly. No flags or extra configuration are required — just set your OS to a dark theme.
Networking
Tor Integration
Knots automatically launches Tor as a subprocess when it isn't already running — no configuration needed. The command used can be overridden with the hidden -torexecute option (default: tor):
# Optional: override the Tor command Knots launches (default: tor)
torexecute=/usr/local/bin/tor
Since v29.3, Knots also enables Tor's onion-service proof-of-work (PoW) DoS defenses for your hidden service when the Tor daemon supports them.
UPnP Support
UPnP was removed from Bitcoin Core but restored in Knots:
# Enable UPnP port mapping
upnp=1
Mining
Block Size Control
The -blockmaxsize option was removed from Core but restored in Knots (default: 300000 bytes):
# Limit block size (bytes; Knots default is 300000)
blockmaxsize=750000
Transaction Priority
Knots maintains transaction priority for miners:
# Priority-based transaction selection
blockprioritysize=50000
Configuration Options
Knots adds many configuration options. Key ones include:
# Policy
datacarriersize=42
datacarriercost=1.0
rejectparasites=1
rejecttokens=1
permitbarepubkey=0
bytespersigop=20
bytespersigopstrict=1
# Mining
blockmaxsize=750000
blockprioritysize=50000
# Network
upnp=1
See Configuration Reference for the complete list.
Checkpoints
Knots maintains and enforces historical checkpoints more strictly than Core, with the enforce_checkpoints patch.
Software Expiry Warnings
Knots includes software expiry warnings to encourage users to stay updated, especially for important security fixes.
Summary
Bitcoin Knots is ideal if you want:
- More control over relay/mempool policies
- Legacy wallet functionality
- Enhanced GUI features
- Built-in Tor support
- Mining configuration options
- Extended RPC capabilities
If you just need a standard node with minimal configuration, Bitcoin Core may be simpler.
See Also
- Patches Overview - Complete list of patches
- Configuration Options - All available settings