BITCOIN BLOSSOMS: Speculation about the approval of new exchange-traded funds (ETFs) by U.S. regulators is not the only thing driving bitcoin’s sudden surge in price. Traditional investors are also eager to join the market. In addition, there is a growing number of new products and technologies emerging that aim to enhance the functionality of the oldest and largest blockchain.
Two weeks ago, Robin Linus published a research paper on “BitVM,” which proposes a method of incorporating smart contracts into Bitcoin. This development represents a significant step forward for Bitcoin, as it adopts Ethereum-style features that were previously resisted by many in the community. Earlier this year, the Bitcoin community experienced a similar explosion of interest with the introduction of “Bitcoin NFTs” through the Ordinals protocol.
Now, another exciting project has emerged. Lightning Labs, a prominent developer, has introduced Taproot Assets. This project aims to enable the issuance of stablecoins and other digital assets on Bitcoin and the layer-2 Lightning Network. Ryan Gentry, the director of development at Lightning Labs, described this release as the beginning of a new era for Bitcoin. He emphasized that Taproot Assets uphold Bitcoin’s core values.
Concerns have been raised about whether Taproot Assets could result in congestion on the Bitcoin network, similar to what happened with the introduction of Ordinals. Gentry reassured CoinDesk that this is unlikely to occur. He explained that the protocol only requires a single bitcoin transaction from the issuer to create an unlimited number of Taproot Assets. The metadata describing those assets is stored off-chain, with only a cryptographic commitment to the assets stored on the blockchain. Additionally, transactions involving Taproot Assets on the Lightning Network will occur off-chain and will not impact the blockchain.
The introduction of Taproot Assets and other innovative projects showcases how developers are embracing the inherent constraints of the Bitcoin network and finding ways to innovate on top of the base layer. According to a report from Messari, this demonstrates the network’s ability to adapt and evolve while preserving its core principles.
(Source: [credible source])
❗Follow us on Twitter to get all the latest crypto news as soon as they're out! 🚀
About the author - J-S Tremblay
I've been involved in the cryptocurrency world since 2016 and trading since 2019. I started Moon and Lambo in 2021. I'm passionate about crypto and love to share my knowledge. I hate bankers and I hope that cryptocurrency will change the financial world for the better. View full profile...
View J-S Tremblay website
