The brief

Analyst view

• Bitcoin Core v30.0 (October 2025) raised OP_RETURN limit to 100 KB, dividing the community on data storage.
• February 2026: Bitcoin Core merged BIP-360, introducing quantum-resistant P2MR addresses.
• Network hashrate hit 1+ Zettahash/second in January 2026. Winter storm in February curtailed Texas mining.

Technical approach

As reported

Proof of Work

SHA-256 mining secures the network

Miners compete to solve SHA-256 puzzles; difficulty adjusts every 2,016 blocks to keep block time at ~10 minutes. The longest chain is considered valid.

Consensus Rules

Decentralized, voluntary rule adoption

Bitcoin upgrades require consensus among nodes and miners. A soft fork is backward-compatible; a hard fork splits the chain if nodes don't upgrade.

Quantum Readiness

BIP-360 adds quantum-resistant addresses

ECDSA is vulnerable to quantum computers. BIP-360's P2MR hides the public key until spend, delaying quantum risk. This is a first step, not a full upgrade.