The founder of Rootstock, a Bitcoin layer 2 protocol, has revealed ambitious plans for the development of “BitVMX”, a project aimed at improving the programmability of the world’s oldest blockchain. Sergio Demian Lerner, recognized for his contributions to Bitcoin and Ethereum, revealed the project’s roadmap during the Bitcoin++ conference in Austin, Texas.
“We have a roadmap to finish this in a year and we are moving full speed ahead,” Lerner announced during the presentation.
BitVMX is based on the innovative BitVM design introduced by developer Robin Linus last year. Linus’ BitVM concept attracted widespread attention among Bitcoin developers for its potential to enable the creation of programmable Layer 2 networks similar to those of the Ethereum blockchain, offering cheaper and faster transactions. Crucially, BitVM requires no modifications to Bitcoin’s underlying code, a critical factor given the decentralized governance of the blockchain and the challenges associated with achieving consensus among developers for significant upgrades.
Lerner had hinted at the development of BitVMX during an exclusive interview on CoinDesk’s The Protocol podcast last month, without divulging specific details.
Rootstock Labs recently published a blog post describing the initiative and emphasizing the disparity between theory and practical implementation in Linus’s original concept. The BitVMX research team aims to build on this foundation, introducing further innovations to create an improved development framework for running programs on Bitcoin. The name “BitVMX” pays homage to its predecessor while also indicating a focus on expanding Bitcoin’s capabilities and accelerating the advancement of sidechains and Layer 2 solutions.
Rootstock Labs revealed that a team of core contributors is collaborating on a public roadmap outlining proposed improvements to the network over the next 12 months.
According to a white paper accompanying the announcement, the BitVMX framework lays the foundation for running any CPU on Bitcoin, with a specific emphasis on supporting a fully compatible RISC-V processor programmable using standard build tools. This technical description highlights BitVMX’s potential to adapt to a wide range of use cases, heralding a new era of innovation within the Bitcoin ecosystem.
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