Great Consensus Cleanup Revival

The forwarded feedback introduces a technical suggestion for Bitcoin's CHECKMULTISIG(VERIFY) operation, specifically proposing a cap on the number of BIP54 signature operations (sigops) to six. This recommendation stems from the observation that the scriptCode remains unchanged during the signature checks within a single CHECKMULTISIG(VERIFY) operation, allowing for the potential caching of the six possible signature hashes. The implementation of such a cache has already been incorporated into Bitcoin Core starting with version 30.0, as detailed in the GitHub pull request 32473. This strategy is lauded for its cleverness and worthiness of consideration.

Despite its innovative approach, the proposal raises questions regarding its practical significance, especially since it mainly affects users involved with large legacy multisignature transactions, which have seen diminished use. Additionally, integrating this change would introduce complexity into the system by preventing the straightforward reuse of BIP16's GetSigOpCount method, as currently implemented in Bitcoin Core (source code). On the other hand, adjusting the budgeting for the use of CHECKMULTISIG(VERIFY) in legacy Script to more closely reflect actual validation costs—rather than exceeding them—presents a compelling benefit.

The email concludes with plans to compile a list of historical transactions that would align with this adjusted rule but not with the current BIP54 standards, inviting opinions on the desirability of such a modification. This solicitation for feedback indicates an open and consultative approach to decision-making regarding potential changes to Bitcoin's operational protocols.