The Bitcoin Development Mailing List, a vital communication channel for the creators and contributors to the Bitcoin blockchain, was temporarily taken offline on Wednesday after a suspected bot attack.
Google flagged the publicly accessible mailing list as containing “spam, malware, or other malicious content,” causing users to receive a “permanently removed” message when attempting to access the group. The issue was addressed and resolved by Google’s Workspace Support by Thursday, though the company did not clarify the exact cause of the takedown.
This mailing list serves as a platform for discussing Bitcoin proposals, sharing development updates, and resolving issues within the Bitcoin ecosystem. It transitioned to Google’s infrastructure in February 2024 after previously being hosted by the Linux Foundation, Oregon State University’s Open Source Lab, and SourceForge.net.
“Apparently we’re ‘permanently removed.’ Our crime? We’re ‘unwanted content,’” developer Ruben Somsen posted on X. “Really, Google? Open source development is ‘unwanted’?” He shared the frustration with the platform’s removal, suggesting the team might have to migrate the mailing list to a different host.
While the exact reason for the takedown remains unclear, some reports speculate the issue could have been the result of a bot attack. These attacks involve a malicious actor performing an overwhelming number of actions, such as clicks or visits, with the intent to disable services and disrupt operations.
This incident comes amid heightened market volatility, with Bitcoin’s price fluctuating as global macroeconomic instability worsens following the announcement of sweeping U.S. tariffs earlier in the week.
