CKB Is An Ideal Bitcoin Layer 2
Authored by Jan Xie, this insightful blog was first shared on X.
As a monetary system, Bitcoin is inherently layered. But what should a Bitcoin monetary layer 2 look like? It should be an integral part of the entire system, sharing the same foundational values and design decisions. Ideally, it would be interconnected with layer 1, allowing for free BTC flow between layers, and offering a consistent user experience for both users and developers.
CKB is the ideal monetary layer 2 for Bitcoin. CKB shares Bitcoin values, e.g. PoW not PoS, UTXO not Account, decentralization over TPS, no issuance manipulation, etc. With Cell, an extended UTXO model, CKB can provides more decentralized use cases for Bitcoiners while maintaining a consistent user and developer experience. Imagine operating CKB applications with a Bitcoin wallet, rotating addresses for privacy, and managing UTXOs under dust limit / minimum capacity constraints - all underpinned by the same foundational principles.
Moreover, CKB is an excellent experimental ground for Bitcoin, provides an enhanced UTXO model with stronger programming capabilities while upholding Bitcoin's core values and design philosophy. This means CKB faces challenges akin to those of Bitcoin, with optimal solutions potentially benefiting both. The ability to use customized cryptographic primitives on CKB empower developers and researchers to explore their most innovative ideas. On CKB, it's easier to test new ideas like covenant (CTV), PSBT, and Intents, which, if successful, could be integrated back into Bitcoin Layer 1.
Importantly, a monetary layer 2 doesn't need to share security with Bitcoin. Multiple monetary layer 2s can form a more decentralized, resilient, and loosely connected monetary system with Bitcoin at its core. This system wouldn't have a single point of vulnerability in terms of security, and it would offer consistent user experience without liquidity fragmentation seen elsewhere. Because Bitcoin is money, it only needs to provide monetary functions, not everything else. Because UTXO is the first-class citizen here, accounts are abstracted away and managed off-chain. #CKB aligns perfectly with this vision, making it an ideal #Bitcoin #Layer2 .