CTV + CSFS: a letter

The letter published advocates for the activation of OP_CHECKTEMPLATEVERIFY (CTV, BIP-119) and OP_CHECKSIGFROMSTACK (CSFS, BIP-348) in Bitcoin, highlighting their potential to enhance Bitcoin's functionality as a censorship-resistant store of value. These opcodes are seen as critical for a variety of applications including scaling solutions, vaults, congestion control, non-custodial mining, discreet log contracts, and more, aiming to preserve and expand Bitcoin's utility.

CTV has been a part of the Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP-119) for over five years and is favored for enforcing pregenerated transaction sequences through consensus. Its stability and preference among alternatives underscore its readiness for implementation. CSFS, on the other hand, has been utilized in Blockstream’s Elements for at least eight years without imposing significant computational demands. It complements CTV by enabling improvements like ln-symmetry for the Lightning network and supports various other use cases.

The proponents of these changes call upon Bitcoin Core contributors to prioritize the review and incorporation of CTV and CSFS within six months, emphasizing the importance of these opcodes for both layer 1 security and layer 2 scaling solutions. They argue that the limited scope and concept of these proposals make them feasible steps toward maintaining Bitcoin's core values.

The letter is signed by several individuals and entities from the Bitcoin development community, including Abdel from Starkware, Andrew Poelstra, Ben Carman, and many others, demonstrating broad support for these enhancements. The full text of the letter can be found at https://ctv-csfs.com, reflecting a collective push towards evolving Bitcoin’s infrastructure to better meet the needs of users and maintain its pioneering status in the cryptocurrency world.