CTV + CSFS: a letter

The correspondence underlines a significant concern regarding the participation and integration of new developers into the Bitcoin development environment, particularly in the context of consensus rule improvements. It highlights a noticeable decline in new developer interest coinciding with the abandonment of the CTV (CheckTemplateVerify) and APO (Anyprevout) proposals. This situation is attributed to the perceived impossibility for enthusiastic newcomers to make meaningful contributions without substantial support and mentorship from the core project members.

The letter suggests that a commitment from the Bitcoin Core project to actively mentor and support developers interested in working on consensus improvements could potentially address this issue. It reflects a broader belief among the signatories that while CTV+CSFS represents a positive direction for Bitcoin's consensus rules, it is not the sole avenue for beneficial enhancements. Therefore, there's an encouragement for the project to prioritize consensus improvements at a level comparable to other areas such as relay, peer-to-peer networking, build system enhancements, and code refactoring.

Implicit in the message is a call for a more inclusive and supportive approach towards integrating new developers into the Bitcoin project, especially in fields critical to its evolution and security. The underlying assumption is that by elevating the importance of consensus rule development and offering the necessary guidance, the Bitcoin project can foster a more vibrant and diverse developer ecosystem capable of sustaining and propelling future innovations.