Robert Linus, project lead at Bitcoin development group ZeroSync, has proposed a new system called BitVM that would allow developers to perform complex computations on the Bitcoin network. Unlike other proposals, BitVM does not require changes to Bitcoin’s code, which could cause controversy within the community. The system suggests verifying computations on Bitcoin while executing them off-chain, similar to Ethereum’s optimistic rollups. This would enable more expressive Bitcoin contracts and potentially allow for games like Chess, Go, or Poker on the network. It could also facilitate trustless sidechains for Bitcoin, although this remains uncertain. BitVM may offer an alternative to the debated Drivechains upgrade, which aims to improve BTC transactions but has faced skepticism due to the risks involved. However, BitVM has limitations, such as being limited to two-party settings and requiring significant off-chain computation and communication. While the project has gained attention on Twitter, some developers have criticized it as overhyped. Despite similarities to Greg Maxwell’s Zero-Knowledge Contingent Payment system, Linus argues that there are key differences.

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Information	Details
Geography	Global
Countries
Sentiment	neutral
Relevance Score	0
People	Robert Linus
Companies	Bitcoin, Ethereum, Paradigm, ZeroSync, Drivechains, Blockstream
Currencies	Bitcoin, Ethereum
Securities	None