CTV+CSFS: Can we reach consensus on a first step towards covenants?
Posted by sjors
Jun 23, 2025/15:27 UTC
The discussion revolves around the potential for accelerating the update to PTLCs (Point Time Locked Contracts) in the context of blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies, specifically within the Lightning Network ecosystem. The conversation highlights the significant privacy enhancements that PTLCs could offer over the current HTLCs (Hash Time Locked Contracts). Notably, PTLCs are viewed as a way to obscure the transaction path by eliminating the trail of identical hash pre-images across a route. This feature is particularly important for enhancing privacy, especially considering scenarios where adversaries might collect log files for analysis.
The exchange also touches upon the perceived necessity of incorporating other technological improvements alongside PTLCs to facilitate their implementation. There's a specific mention of Taproot, CSFS (Client-Side Filtering System), and CTV (CheckTemplateVerify) as potential enablers for PTLCs. The conversation suggests a degree of skepticism regarding whether Taproot alone would suffice for the seamless integration of PTLCs into the existing framework, implying that additional mechanisms like CSFS and CTV might be necessary.
Furthermore, there's an acknowledgment of the time it typically takes for a soft fork to activate and for the network to adopt new protocols, raising questions about the practical timeline for PTLC integration. Despite these challenges, the conversation hints at optimism that PTLCs could be implemented sooner than expected, even if it requires activating a soft fork. This development is seen as not only a simplification but also a significant step forward in privacy and efficiency for transactions on networks like Lightning, despite the hurdles that must be overcome in the process.
TLDR
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