Question about OP_CTV and Non-Recursive Covenants

The discussion starts with a concern about the potential for adversarial actions within blockchain networks, specifically targeting the rewards of miners through the manipulation of transaction conditions based on the nVersion value. This approach could threaten the stability of miner networks by introducing non-linear elements and compromising the properties of linearity and finality that are crucial for the advancement of blockchain technology. The consensus is that introducing such non-linearity would be detrimental, indicating a preference for maintaining the current structural integrity of blockchain operations.

However, an alternative solution is proposed to address the underlying intention more elegantly without disrupting the network's stability. The solution involves the concept of signature-time cross-input scripting, which would allow users to bid on a large subset of Unspent Transaction Outputs (UTXOs) within a single Partially Signed Bitcoin Transaction (PSBT). This method, detailed at delvingbitcoin.org, suggests future enhancements through a subscript-only opcode that allows full introspection. Although this opcode would significantly increase the expressivity of PSBTs by enabling detailed transaction conditions, it carefully avoids permitting recursive covenants, thus not encumbering outputs in a way that could destabilize the network.

This innovative approach aims to facilitate trustless buy offers across every UTXO containing a specific fungible asset, as defined by any metaprotocol. It addresses the current limitation where, despite the existence of trustless sell markets, creating a trustless buy market remains impractical. By implementing these suggested technical advancements, developers could potentially unlock new functionalities within blockchain systems, fostering greater efficiency and security in conducting transactions across the network.