Deep Dive
1. VM Limits & BigInt CHIPs (May 2025)
Overview: Activated during the May 15 network upgrade, these changes enable more sophisticated smart contracts by lifting constraints on virtual machine operations and introducing native support for large integers.
The VM Limits adjustment removes arbitrary caps on opcode execution steps, allowing developers to build decentralized apps (dApps) with more complex logic. BigInt CHIPs add native 64-bit integer support, critical for financial calculations and cryptographic functions.
What this means: This is bullish for BCH because it unlocks DeFi and tokenization use cases, positioning Bitcoin Cash as a competitive smart contract platform. (Source)
Overview: Developer Mathieu Geukens unveiled Cashonize Wallet and CashScript SDK updates at the Electronic Cash Conference 2025, streamlining token creation and management.
These tools simplify building tokenized assets (like NFTs) and automated financial instruments on BCH. The upgrades include improved API documentation and cross-platform compatibility.
What this means: This is neutral-to-bullish for BCH as it lowers entry barriers for developers, though adoption metrics remain key to watch. (Source)
3. UTXO Efficiency Upgrades (July 2025)
Overview: The Knuth v0.68.0 node release introduced UTXO (Unspent Transaction Output) optimizations to reduce blockchain storage growth by 18–22%.
By compressing historical data structures, the update improves node synchronization speeds and lowers hardware requirements for validators.
What this means: This is bullish for BCH because it enhances network scalability and decentralization by making node operation more accessible. (Source)
Conclusion
Bitcoin Cash’s 2025 codebase updates prioritize smart contract versatility, developer tooling, and scalability. While technical progress is evident, broader adoption of these features will determine their long-term impact. How might reduced block times (proposed in the Velma hard fork) further differentiate BCH from payment-focused rivals?