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Bitcoin OP_CAT Proposal Gets Boost From Taproot Wizards' $30M Fundraise
Taproot Wizards will use the funding to build an ecosystem of applications using the OP_CAT Bitcoin improvement proposal
Feb 4, 2025, 9:03 p.m.
What to know:
- Taproot Wizards has raised $30 million with which it plans to build an ecosystem of applications using the OP_CAT Bitcoin improvement proposal.
- OP_CAT is a feature that could bring Ethereum-like smart contract functionality to Bitcoin.
- The Wizards have been attempting to "meme OP_CAT back into existence," the project said in an announcement.
Taproot Wizards has raised $30 million with which it plans to build an ecosystem of applications using the OP_CAT Bitcoin improvement proposal (BIP).
OP_CAT is a feature that Bitcoin's pseudonymous founder Satoshi Nakamoto included in the software's original code but which he/she/they removed out of concerns that it exposed it to risks such as denial-of-service (DoS) attack.
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Many developers have expressed a concern in bringing it back.
The proposal could bring Ethereum-like smart contract functionality to Bitcoin through introducing "covenants," or rules that determine how a specific transaction will function.
Taproot Wizards, whose vision is to "make Bitcoin magical again," sold a collection of 3,000 non-fungible token (NFT)-like pieces of digital art called "Quantum Cats" to drum up support for OP_CAT one year ago.
The Wizards have been attempting to "meme OP_CAT back into existence," according to an emailed announcement on Tuesday.
Co-founder Udi Werthimer describes OP_CAT as "the missing piece" to attaining "permissionless programmability for bitcoin, allowing lending, trading and smart contracts without giving up self custody," in Tuesday's announcement.
The $30 million funding round was led by Standard Crypto.
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French Banking Giant BPCE to Roll Out Crypto Trading for 2M Retail Clients
The service will allow customers to buy and sell BTC, ETH, SOL, and USDC through a separate digital asset account managed by Hexarq.
What to know:
- French banking group BPCE will start offering crypto trading services to 2 million retail customers through its Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Épargne apps, with plans to expand to 12 million customers by 2026.
- The service will allow customers to buy and sell BTC, ETH, SOL, and USDC through a separate digital asset account managed by Hexarq, with a €2.99 monthly fee and 1.5% transaction commission.
- The move follows similar initiatives by other European banks, such as BBVA, Santander, and Raiffeisen Bank, which have already started offering crypto trading services to their customers.
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