The OP_CAT upgrade on the Bitcoin network may reintroduce the feature removed by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2010.

Deep Tide TechFlow News, the OP_CAT upgrade of the Bitcoin network has sparked developers' renewed interest in Bitcoin application development. This upgrade may reintroduce the functionality removed by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2010. At the Bitcoin2024 conference, Bob Bodily, CEO of the Bitcoin NFT (Ordinals) trading platform Bioniq, which does not require gas fees, stated that hundreds of developers are 'calling out loudly' for the potential benefits of this upgrade.

Bodily is optimistic about Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 420 (BIP 420), which may reintroduce the operation concatenation (OP_CAT) functionality to the Bitcoin network in 2025. OP_CAT will introduce smart contract functionality to the Bitcoin network, which is currently available on the Bitcoin Signet test network.

OP_CAT will enable covenants, thereby achieving technical advancements such as shared Unspent Transaction Outputs (UTXO), which will enhance the scalability of technologies like the Lightning Network. Despite concerns from the conservative 'harden camp' and worries about unforeseen impacts, Bodily believes that the risks of maintaining the current state of the Bitcoin network are greater.