Jon Atack, a Bitcoin Core developer since 2019 and BIP maintainer/editor since 2024, explains what Bitcoin Improvement Proposals are, their purpose in the ecosystem, and how the process has evolved. He shares insights on the current state of the BIPs repository (181 total BIPs), discusses the upcoming BIP3 which will simplify statuses from 9 to 4, and offers practical guidance for potential BIP authors. The talk illuminates how BIPs serve as a standardized framework for Bitcoin’s research, development, and innovation while revealing the unexpected surge in BIP activity over the past year.
This presentation was recorded live at 2025’s OPNEXT, the Bitcoin scaling conference. For more info, visit opnext.dev. OPNEXT livestream and VODs are made possible by Taproot Wizards.
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# Notes:
– 181 total BIPs in repository, numbered up to 431
– 31 new BIPs proposed in past year (2-3 per month)
– 14 new BIPs merged, 17 work-in-progress
– BIP3 reduces statuses from 9 to 4
– BIP process not updated since 2016 (9 years)
– Scope of BIPs remains an ongoing discussion
