What is Bitcoin Taproot?

We have heard that Bitcoin has now a new improvement. Taproot has recently been activated and it provides unique benefits to the entire Bitcoin blockchain network. However, the Taproot improvement seems to be somehow a confusing topic for crypto lovers. Indeed, it could become rather a technical discussion. 

This is why we have decided to clarify what Bitcoin Taproot is, how it works and why it is good for Bitcoin. The Taproot upgrade would have a positive impact on Bitcoin and the entire cryptocurrency market in the coming years. In this guide, we will share with you all the details about this Bitcoin upgrade.

Disclaimer: the information shared by AltSignals and its writers should not be considered financial advice. This is for educational purposes only. We are not responsible for any investment decision you make after reading this post. Never invest more than what you are able to lose. Always contact your professional financial advisor.

What is Bitcoin Taproot?

Bitcoin Taproot is an upgrade that aims at batching different signatures and transactions. That means that rather than verifying different transactions for the Bitcoin network, miners would be able to verify different transactions batched together. This is one of the main benefits of Taproot. It makes the whole process easier and faster for the whole network. 

One of the things that you should know about Bitcoin Taproot is that it includes three different upgrades and proposals for the Bitcoin network. These upgrades and proposals include Schnorr Signatures, Taproot and also Tapscript. Nonetheless, we focus on the whole package of measures known as Taproot.

With Schnorr Signatures, for example, there will be lower fees for some transactions, better privacy solutions and a more flexible multi-signature process. Thanks to a technical process in Schnorr signatures, there will be space savings that would be very useful for those players and participants that adopt this improvement. 

Coming back to space savings, Taproot outputs require less space than traditional outputs. Nonetheless, they are also larger than P2WPKH outputs. 

In terms of privacy, there are some implications that are worth taking into consideration. For example, thanks to Schnorr signatures and key aggregation, multi-signature transactions would look the same as other traditional transactions on the Bitcoin network. 

There are also some improvements in terms of security. For example, Schnorr signatures are more secure than ECDSA signatures. Schnorr works by eliminating some of the signature malleability making the whole process simpler and clearer for participants. 

Bitcoin Improvement Proposals

Bitcoin Improvement Proposals (BIP) are very important not only for Bitcoin but also for the entire cryptocurrency market. Let’s not forget that in order for an improvement proposal to be approved by the Bitcoin network it requires the consensus of the majority of the network. 

That being said, if the consensus is not reached, there is a risk of having a hard fork as it already happened in the past (Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash). However, Taproot was able to be passed by the majority of the network and after several months of discussion by developers and the entire community on whether this improvement is a good idea or not for the future of Bitcoin. 

Moreover, if there is a clash between community members on different improvement proposals for the Bitcoin network, then there could be a negative effect on Bitcoin’s price, adoption and also the entire crypto community. Basically, if Bitcoin fails, then the whole crypto market could be jeopardized. 

The Taproot upgrade has been recently activated on the Bitcoin network and the code has been tested and merged. Bitcoin node operators are now deciding whether to activate this upgrade or not. The Taproot upgrade included the BIP (Bitcoin Improvement Proposals) 340, 341 and 342. 

In the future, there might be new Bitcoin improvement proposals that could make the whole network more secure, faster and flexible. However, it is also very important to rely on different community discussions before activating a new proposal. This is why understanding the new projects and BIPs would be a key thing for Bitcoin’s health and the future of the crypto market. 

Let’s not forget that when Bitcoin Cash (BCH) forked into Bitcoin SV (BSV), the entire cryptocurrency market reached a new low. Bitcoin was traded below $3,200 and it has been in a bear trend for several months. Nowadays, Taproot is activated and the Bitcoin network has been upgraded. It is just a matter of time before we see new BIPs being proposed and discussed by the community.