TFTC: A Bitcoin Podcast #648: Simplicity on Liquid with Andrew Poelstra
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Aug 6, 2025 Andrew Poelstra from Blockstream joins to unveil the launch of Simplicity on Liquid mainnet, a groundbreaking programming language for Bitcoin. He explores its potential for creating safe and predictable smart contracts, reflecting nearly a decade of development. Topics include the advantages of formal verification, relative simplicity compared to Bitcoin's current scripting, and how Simplicity can unlock new capabilities while maintaining Bitcoin's core principles. The discussion emphasizes the innovative features that aim to enhance Bitcoin's scripting while protecting its decentralization.
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Simplicity Enhances Bitcoin Script
- Simplicity replaces Bitcoin Script with a formal, mathematically specified language enabling safer, more expressive smart contracts.
- It supports conditional branches via Merkle trees, improving efficiency by revealing only executed branches.
Simplicity Balances Power and Predictability
- Simplicity is expressive yet finite, unlike Ethereum's Turing-complete EVM with gas and infinite loops.
- It uses static analysis to precompute execution cost, ensuring predictable fees and validation without denial-of-service risks.
Liquid Accelerates Simplicity Deployment
- Liquid sidechain enables Simplicity deployment faster due to its federation and multi-asset setup unlike base Bitcoin.
- Liquid serves as a proving ground to refine Simplicity before possible Bitcoin integration.