Bitcoin’s next upgrade BIP-54 could fix four longstanding flaws, developer says

Bitcoin developer Matt Corallo has estimated an 80% chance that BIP-54, a proposed upgrade designed to fix four longstanding vulnerabilities in the network, will become Bitcoin’s next soft fork. Summary Bitcoin developer Matt Corallo has estimated an 80% chance that BIP-54, a proposal to fix four longstanding network vulnerabilities, will become Bitcoin’s next soft fork. The proposed upgrade would address weaknesses in mining difficulty adjustments, block validation, Merkle tree proofs and duplicate coinbase transactions. BIP-54 has no confirmed activation date, although developer estimates gathered at TABconf suggest the upgrade could arrive in 2027 or more likely 2028 and beyond. Some developers have questioned whether Bitcoin should prioritize maintenance over new features, while Corallo believes the upgrade could help establish a clearer process for future soft forks. According to a November 4 Decrypt report, Corallo discussed the proposal during an appearance on MARA Foundation TV with MARA Foundation head Isabel Foxen Duke, where he explained why developers could prioritize fixing existing consensus problems before introducing new features. The proposal, known as the Great Co...