Share this article
Bitcoin Development Mailing List Briefly Goes Offline After 'Malicious' Warning
The mailing list was unavailable for a short period on Wednesday and was placed in a “banned content warning” cohort on Google.
Apr 3, 2025, 10:17 a.m.
Make us preferred on Google
What to know:
- The Bitcoin developers' mailing list was briefly taken offline due to a suspected bot attack, displaying a "permanently removed" message.
- Google flagged the group for containing "spam, malware, or other malicious content" but resolved the issue without providing a clear explanation.
- The mailing list, crucial for discussing Bitcoin proposals and development, moved to Google in February 2024 after being hosted by several other platforms.
The Bitcoin Development Mailing List, a key communication platform for developers of the original blockchain, was briefly offline on Wednesday after an apparent bot attack.
Google flagged the publicly viewable group as containing “spam, malware, or other malicious content.” Users accessing the group received a “permanently removed” message while the issue was being sorted out.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
The active group is used to discuss Bitcoin proposals, relay development messages, and flag and solve any issues across the Bitcoin ecosystem. It moved to Google in February 2024. Its previous hosts were the Linux Foundation, Oregon State University Open Source Lab’s infrastructure and SourceForge.net.
“Apparently we're "permanently removed". Our transgression? We're "unwanted content,” developer Ruben Somsen posted on X. “Really Google? Open source development is "unwanted"?”
Bitcoindev mailing list update - it's bad.
— Ruben Somsen (@SomsenRuben) April 2, 2025
Turns out we did get more info, but in our spam folder (ironic).
Apparently we're "permanently removed". Our transgression? We're "unwanted content".
Really Google? Open source development is "unwanted"?
Guess we're migrating again😢 https://t.co/wC3MOqAh5q pic.twitter.com/Eewm2mhj1m
Google’s Workspace Support resolved the issue early Thursday, according to an X post. It did not provide a clear reason for the removal.
Reports suggested the takedown could have been due to a bot attack, where a malicious actor performs an extremely high number of tasks (such as clicks or visits) to disable a service and create havoc within a specific environment.
The intrusion comes as the bitcoin (BTC) price grapples with high volatility amid a shaky macroeconomic environment, stemming from a slew of U.S. tariffs announced Wednesday.
More For You
Pudgy Penguins is building a multi-vertical consumer IP platform — combining phygital products, games, NFTs and PENGU to monetize culture at scale.
What to know:
Pudgy Penguins is emerging as one of the strongest NFT-native brands of this cycle, shifting from speculative “digital luxury goods” into a multi-vertical consumer IP platform. Its strategy is to acquire users through mainstream channels first; toys, retail partnerships and viral media, then onboard them into Web3 through games, NFTs and the PENGU token.
The ecosystem now spans phygital products (> $13M retail sales and >1M units sold), games and experiences (Pudgy Party surpassed 500k downloads in two weeks), and a widely distributed token (airdropped to 6M+ wallets). While the market is currently pricing Pudgy at a premium relative to traditional IP peers, sustained success depends on execution across retail expansion, gaming adoption and deeper token utility.
More For You
Bitcoin to silver ratio nears levels last seen during the FTX capitulation
Volatility, historical timing, and relative value signals raise questions around a potential blow off top for silver.
What to know:
- Historical silver tops have consistently clustered in the first half of the year.
- The bitcoin to silver ratio has declined toward levels last observed near bitcoin’s 2022 cycle low.
Top Stories
