Research Bitcoin Scripting

[tylermzeller]

Need to identify:

• [ ] what scripts can and can't do
• [ ] details of the scripting language (grammar, syntax)
• [ ] what resources will be needed to allow scripts to run (interpreters, parsers, etc.)
• [ ] what is the estimated impact on the existing transaction schema
• [ ] what is the estimated impact on the existing code base
• [ ] a plan of attack. Initial, intermediate, and stretch goals. Proof of concepts, demos, etc.

[tylermzeller]

Initial goal: Support P2PKH txs through scripting.

• [x] what scripts can and can't do P2PKH input scripts can provide the pubKey and signature using the scriptSig field. This will remove the signature and pubKey fields in transaction inputs (at least for serialization).

P2PKH output scripts can provide the pubKeyHash (and the rest of the locking script) using the scriptPubKey field. This will remove the pubKeyHash field from transaction outputs (at least for serialization).

• [x] details of the scripting language (grammar, syntax) The exact form of P2PKH txs is:

  <-scriptSig->  <----------------scriptPubKey--------------->
  <sig> <PubK> + DUP HASH160 <PubKHash> EQUALVERIFY CHECKSIG

• [x] what resources will be needed to allow scripts to run (interpreters, parsers, etc.) Each miner is required to run the input + output script in sequence to verify the txs. The only thing the miners require to execute the scripts is 2 stacks (one for the scriptSig, the other for scriptPubKey and completing the verification) and an OP lookup table.
• [x] what is the estimated impact on the existing transaction schema Noted above. Signature and pubKey fields in the inputs will be coalesced into the scriptSig. PubKeyHash in outputs will be placed in the scriptPubKey along with the rest of the P2PKH script.
• [ ] what is the estimated impact on the existing code base TBD
• [x] a plan of attack. Initial, intermediate, and stretch goals. Proof of concepts, demos, etc. This is an intermediate goal