Cobra, the anonymous owner of the Bitcoin.org domain, has issued a warning about a potential user-activated soft fork (UASF) for Bitcoin scheduled for 2025.
The initiative, reportedly developed by anonymous developers outside the Bitcoin Core team, aims to bring the controversial CheckTemplateVerify (CTV) functionality to the BTC network.
Based on the BIP 119 proposal, CTV is designed to allow users to set specific spending conditions on their wallets. Proponents argue that CTV could significantly increase cold wallet security by enabling predefined transaction rules, making it a potentially powerful tool for institutional and high-net-worth Bitcoin holders.
Volatility Risks: Some believe that CTV could undermine the fungibility of Bitcoin by creating distinctions between different types of Bitcoin based on spending conditions.
Code Complexity: Others argue that adding CTV would increase the complexity of Bitcoin’s codebase, raising concerns about unintended security vulnerabilities.
Cobra warned in a public statement that the soft fork attempt could catch many BTC users and developers off guard:
“Some Bitcoiners will attempt to soft fork CTV via a UASF in 2025. Developers (non-Core) are currently working on the code and activation parameters. Not enough people are paying attention.”
*This is not investment advice.