Bitcoin Amsterdam highlights hurdles for consensus over improvement proposals
The continuous development of the Bitcoin protocol has been a source of significant contention within the cryptocurrency ecosystem, as exemplified by past events such as the block size debate in 2017.
David Becker 
Bitcoin core developers have frequently disagreed over Bitcoin Improvement Proposals (BIPs) designed to address issues within the protocol. This disagreement was prominently displayed during a heated panel discussion at Bitcoin Amsterdam 2023, where long-time Bitcoin developers Paul Sztorc and Peter Todd were at odds over the ongoing development of Drivechains.
Sztorc's LayerTwo Labs has been working on BIP-300 for nearly six years, which proposes the creation of layer-2 sidechains to address various problems without necessitating changes to the Bitcoin protocol itself. The heated debate during the panel discussion, with Todd often talking over Sztorc, highlighted the challenges of achieving consensus on BIPs that could enhance the overall functionality of the Bitcoin protocol.
Jameson Lopp, the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Casa, a Bitcoin custody firm, shared his perspective on the issue during an in-depth interview at the conference. Lopp expressed his concerns about the slowing pace of improvements and protocol changes within the Bitcoin ecosystem. However, he noted that the situation has improved recently with the emergence of new projects like BitVM and SpiderChain.
Lopp believes that a few proposed soft forks may be beneficial for the protocol. He stated, "In general, I think that Bitcoin should implement functionality that will improve its ability to be what you could call a cryptographic accumulator. Bitcoin should enable functionality that will boost the ability of second layers."
Lopp also emphasized that the strict "ossification" approach that some Bitcoin maximalists have advocated for would have stifled innovation. He pointed out that the Lightning Network, a crucial second-layer solution for Bitcoin's scalability, would not have been possible without certain BIPs like OP_CLTV (CHECKLOCKTIMEVERIFY) and OP_CSV (CHECKSEQUENCEVERIFY). These BIPs were essential for enabling payment channels on the network, making Bitcoin more versatile and adaptable.
