The Big Bitcoin Upgrade: What’s Cooking at BitPay?

BitPay’s CEO, Stephen Pair, has dropped some hints about the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance Bitcoin’s functionality. While he’s not exactly shouting it from the rooftops, he’s signaled that significant improvements are on the horizon. Rather than pursuing a hard fork—think of it as Bitcoin’s equivalent of a messy divorce—he’s advocating for what some call ‘extension blocks’ or, as he prefers, ‘secondary blocks’. This sounds fancy and all, but what does it really mean?

What Are These ‘Secondary Blocks’?

In the world of cryptocurrencies, terms can often stir political debates. Pair, apparently, prefers not to throw gasoline on any fires. He thinks of secondary blocks as a way to augment the current chain without the turbulence involved with hard forks. After all, we all have enough drama in our lives without adding more of it to Bitcoin!

Technical Specifications: Where the Rubber Meets the Road

So, what exactly is on the testing table? According to BitPay, there are available GitHub pages where developers can check out the specifications and the working code for these proposed upgrades. Fancy trying your hand at it? Pair’s got you covered: “You can be running a bcoin node on this extension block testnet in just a few minutes!