July 25: BitcoinOS, a network of Bitcoin-based rollup chains, validated the first zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs on the Bitcoin mainchain. ZK encryption has been heralded as a key technology for scaling blockchain throughput and utility, but the technology is complex and computationally intensive, so it was unclear if and when it would be introduced to the relatively basic Bitcoin network. According to the BitcoinOS team, “This is the first permissionless upgrade of the Bitcoin system and the first time Bitcoin has been upgraded without a soft fork.” Bitcoin is now “infinitely upgradable” without “requiring changes to the consensus code,” the team told CoinDesk. BitcoinOS aims to be “the ultimate implementation of the Bitcoin rollup system,” eventually acting as a bridge connecting any number of rollups (the Bitcoin blockchain and a fast, cheap layer-2 blockchain secured by ZK proofs).
