Here’s What to Expect for the Bitcoin Cash 2025 Network Upgrade

The Bitcoin Cash (BCH) community is preparing for a significant network upgrade scheduled for May 2025. Two major Cash Improvement Proposals (CHIPs) are set to be activated:

1. CHIP-2021-05-vm-limits: Targeted Virtual Machine Limits
2. CHIP-2024-07-BigInt: High-Precision Arithmetic for Bitcoin Cash

These proposals aim to enhance the functionality, security, and efficiency of the Bitcoin Cash network. Here’s what you can expect from each CHIP and the progress made so far.

1. CHIP-2021-05-vm-limits: Targeted Virtual Machine Limits

Objective: Introduce targeted limits to the Bitcoin Cash Virtual Machine (VM) to optimize resource usage and improve network security.

Key Features:

• Byte Density-Based Limits: Implementing a system where the size of the input script determines a budget for computational operations. Each opcode (operation code) consumes a portion of this budget.
• Input-Based Budgeting: Shifting from a transaction-wide budget to an input-specific budget, allowing for better compartmentalization and resource management.
• Enhanced Security: By setting precise limits, the network can prevent potential denial-of-service (DoS) attacks that exploit computational resources.

Progress Updates:

• Rationale Expansion: A new section has been added to the proposal’s rationale, clarifying the approach of using byte density for budgeting operations.
• Community Feedback: Developers and stakeholders, including Jason, have reviewed and refined the budgeting strategy to focus on input-based limits rather than transaction-wide limits.

2. CHIP-2024-07-BigInt: High-Precision Arithmetic for Bitcoin Cash

Objective: Introduce high-precision arithmetic operations (BigInt support) to the Bitcoin Cash scripting language, enabling more complex and versatile smart contracts.

Key Features:

• Extended Arithmetic Operations: Support for operations involving large integers, facilitating advanced mathematical computations within scripts.
• Enhanced Smart Contract Functionality: Enables developers to create more sophisticated contracts and decentralized applications (dApps) on the Bitcoin Cash network.

Progress Updates:

• Property Testing Suite Development: A property testing suite is under development to rigorously test the new arithmetic operations.
• What is Property Testing? It’s a method of testing where properties of the system are verified across a wide range of inputs. For example, verifying that (a + b) - b == a holds true for numerous random values of a and b.
• Current Status: Tests for addition (ADD), subtraction (SUB), and multiplication (MUL) have been implemented and are passing, increasing confidence in the BigInt implementation.
• Draft Test Plan: A draft test plan is in place to ensure comprehensive coverage of all new arithmetic operations, aiming for robust and error-free implementation.

Community Collaboration and Review

• General Protocols (GP) Engagement: GP has actively participated in reviewing both CHIPs, providing valuable feedback and suggestions.
• Developer Contributions: Contributors like Calin and others are instrumental in developing the testing frameworks and refining the proposals.
• Open Discussions: Ongoing discussions on platforms like Bitcoin Cash Research (BCR) allow for transparent collaboration and community input.

What This Means for the Bitcoin Cash Community

For Developers:

• Enhanced Tools: The new VM limits and BigInt support provide more tools for creating efficient and complex scripts.
• Improved Testing Frameworks: The introduction of property testing sets a new standard for ensuring code reliability.
• For Users:
• Better Security: Targeted VM limits reduce the risk of network slowdowns due to malicious scripts.
• Advanced Features: High-precision arithmetic opens the door to more advanced financial instruments and applications on the Bitcoin Cash network.
• For the Network:
• Optimized Performance: Efficient resource management leads to smoother operation and scalability.
• Future-Proofing: These upgrades position Bitcoin Cash to accommodate future innovations and increased adoption.

Next Steps

• Completion of Testing: Finalizing the property testing suite to cover all aspects of the BigInt implementation.
• Final Reviews and Refinements: Addressing any remaining feedback from the community and ensuring the proposals meet all requirements.
• Preparation for Activation: Coordinating with miners, exchanges, and other stakeholders to ensure a smooth activation in May 2025.

Conclusion

The upcoming Bitcoin Cash 2025 network upgrade marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the BCH ecosystem. With targeted VM limits and high-precision arithmetic support, the network is set to become more secure, efficient, and capable of handling complex transactions and applications. Community involvement and rigorous testing underscore the commitment to making this upgrade a success, benefiting all participants in the Bitcoin Cash network.