Adam Back, CEO of Blockstream, has proposed the implementation of covenant opcodes as a potential final soft-fork for the Bitcoin protocol. He suggests that integrating these tools, combined with formal verification methods, could enhance the security of Bitcoin Script and decrease the frequency of future network upgrades.
Covenants are rules that restrict how coins can be spent in the future, moving beyond current script capabilities that primarily verify spending rights. Back advocates for modular opcodes, which serve as general-purpose toolkits, over specific, single-purpose alternatives.
Current proposals such as CTV (BIP 119) and OP_CAT (BIP 347) are currently in the draft or signaling stages as of early October 2026. These features are being tested on Signet, a dedicated test network, but have not yet been deployed to the Bitcoin mainnet.
Back’s approach aligns with the development of Simplicity, a smart-contract language created by Blockstream and launched on the Liquid sidechain in 2025. Simplicity is designed with formal verification in mind, allowing developers to mathematically prove contract behavior.
