Gloria Zhao Resigns from Bitcoin Core, Revokes PGP Key; BTC Shows Near‑Term Weakness
Gloria Zhao, a long‑time Bitcoin Core maintainer responsible for mempool policy, transaction relay and node policy work, has resigned and revoked her PGP signing key after roughly six years on the project. Zhao submitted a final pull request removing her key from Bitcoin Core’s trusted list and stepped down from the group authorised to sign releases. Her technical contributions included BIP 331 (packet/package relay), BIP 431 (TRUC), improvements to replace‑by‑fee (RBF), and P2P behaviour changes aimed at clearer fee signals and reduced censorship. She was publicly funded in part by Brink, the Human Rights Foundation Bitcoin Development Fund and Spiral, mentored new contributors, and co‑hosted the Bitcoin Core PR Review Club. Her exit followed public disputes in the developer community—most notably over OP_RETURN limits with Bitcoin Knots—and attracted harassment that some peers say contributed to her decision to leave. Analysts and industry figures warned the resignation could hurt contributor retention, though they expect limited immediate effect on Bitcoin’s market fundamentals. Separately, market reports show BTC slipped below $70,000 with an intraday low near $68,189, bearish technical indicators (RSI ~25–26, Supertrend bearish) and nearby supports around $65,881 and $60,000 and resistances near $69,812 and $73,341. Institutional risk is highlighted by MicroStrategy’s CEO noting price levels below his company’s ~$76,000 average complicate debt dynamics. Traders should note: developer governance changes can increase longer‑term execution risk for protocol work and developer coordination, but the resignation is assessed as unlikely to drive near‑term BTC price moves; however, heightened volatility is possible if governance disputes intensify or more key contributors exit.
Neutral
The resignation of a prominent maintainer is a negative signal for developer morale and long‑term contributor retention, which can raise execution risk for future protocol work. However, it does not change Bitcoin’s economic fundamentals or supply/demand profile and is unlikely to directly alter short‑term price mechanics. Market context in the later report shows BTC already weakening below $70,000 with bearish technical indicators and institutional risk concerns (e.g., MicroStrategy’s debt exposure), which are more immediate drivers of price action. Therefore, the direct price impact from Zhao’s exit is expected to be limited (neutral) in the short term, though repeated departures or escalating governance conflict could increase volatility and create downside risk over the medium to long term.