Benchmarking Bitcoin Script Evaluation for the Varops Budget (Great Script Restoration)

The preservation of the 80,000 signature operations (sig ops) limit in Taproot/BIP340-342, despite concerns over its adequacy, stems from a desire to maintain consistency with previous implementations such as SegWit. This decision reflects a cautious approach to development, prioritizing compatibility and stability over radical changes. The rationale behind this conservatism can be traced back to the original introduction of block size limits within Bitcoin's codebase, aiming to mitigate potential denial-of-service (DoS) attacks by preventing blocks from being filled with nonstandard transactions that are excessively large or contain too many signature operations.

The foundational logic for maintaining the sig ops limit with Taproot was largely influenced by the principles established during the SegWit update. SegWit's expansion of the block size by up to four times was accompanied by a proportional increase in both byte and sig op limits, adhering to a principle of balanced scaling. This approach was originally conceived to enhance network efficiency while safeguarding against bloating and spam attacks, which could degrade performance and security.

However, the continuation of these limits into Taproot without substantial revision has sparked a discussion on the necessity and relevance of such restrictions in light of evolving network demands and technological advancements. The historical context provided by the original block size limit introduction underscores a primary focus on preventing DoS attacks, suggesting that the initial reasons for these limits were more about network protection than transaction processing efficiency.

This background invites a reevaluation of the current sig ops limits within the context of Bitcoin's ongoing development. It suggests that the community and developers might benefit from considering whether the inherited constraints continue to serve their intended purpose effectively or if a more informed decision could lead to improved network functionality and security. The links to the logic for Tapscript and SegWit further elaborate on these considerations, indicating an openness within the community to reassess and possibly recalibrate these technical parameters in response to the cryptocurrency's maturation and the broader landscape's evolution.