Introducing the BitVMX 2025 Roadmap

Advancing BitVMX as the Standard for Disputable Computing through Protocol Design, zkVM Integration, and Scalable Verification Infrastructure

Please note: this roadmap reflects current planning and may evolve over time. As with all active development initiatives, milestones are subject to change as new priorities and discoveries emerge.

BitVMX is a computational framework that enables Disputable Computing on Bitcoin by allowing complex, off-chain computations to be verified on-chain through an interactive challenge-response protocol. Built to operate within Bitcoin’s existing consensus rules, it introduces a scalable, general-purpose execution model without requiring changes to the base layer.

The significance of BitVMX lies not only in what it enables, but how it does so. Its design provides a principled path to expressiveness on Bitcoin—anchored in verification, not execution. This approach allows for advanced applications like zero-knowledge rollups, fraud-proof-based smart contracts, and multi-VM interoperability, all while preserving Bitcoin’s core properties of simplicity, security, and decentralization.

Choosing BitVMX as a framework reflects a commitment to building infrastructure that aligns with Bitcoin’s long-term philosophy: minimizing trust, maximizing auditability, and resisting consensus-layer complexity. It represents a practical and forward-compatible path to scaling computation on Bitcoin, without compromising its foundational integrity.

To coordinate progress across the ecosystem, a roadmap has been defined around five core tracks: Research, Implementation, Security, Platform Integration, and Education and Outreach. The following outlines BitVMX’s 2025 development trajectory across each of these domains.

Research Track

The Research Track aims to deliver foundational advances in the underlying cryptographic and protocol structures that power BitVMX’s dispute resolution model.

• Q2 – BIVE Paper:
  The publication of Bidirectional Interleaved Verification Games (BIVE) introduces a system wherein both disputing parties alternate in partitioning the computational trace and selecting midstates. This innovation reduces the number of protocol rounds required for disputes by half, thereby lowering both resolution time and the amount of bitcoin held in escrow during dispute periods.
• Q3 – Wisch Signatures Paper:
  This is a new signature scheme designed to be efficiently verifiable in Bitcoin Script. Wisch signatures replace Winternitz signatures, but offer a much lower overhead. The signed input data expansion is reduced from 1:200 (in Winternitz) to 1:40. This results in a reduction of up to 75% of transaction data required, leading to cheaper disputes.
• Q3 – Jumplist Paper:
  This quarter will see the release of a new authenticated linear data structure with logarithmic back-paths, referred to as Jumplist. By augmenting each node in a hash chain with an additional hash link, the structure shortens the verification path, particularly in worst-case scenarios such as memory access challenges.
• Q4 – BitVMX2 announcement:
  The fourth quarter will feature the formal announcement of BitVMX2, a next-generation version of the protocol that will represent a significant evolution in dispute-aware computing infrastructure on Bitcoin.

Implementation Track

This Track translates research into production-grade features that improve protocol efficiency and security.

• Q3 – Interleaved n-ary Search (BIVE):
  Enhancements to the dispute mechanism are implemented using an interleaved n-ary search strategy, consistent with the BIVE design. This improvement reduces dispute steps and protocol overhead.
• Q3 – BitVMX BETA v0.1 Release:
  This is the first public release of the BitVMX platform, including the BIVE protocol. The goal is for users to test it, deploy BitVMX contracts in testnet environments, receive feedback, polish the API, receive bug reports, and improve documentation.
• Q4 – ESSPI Protocol Implementation:
  Introduction of the ECDSA/Schnorr Signed Program Input (ESSPI) protocol, aimed at enabling streamlined verification of STARK proofs within BitVMX workflows.
• Q4 – BitVMX Stable v1 Release:
  This is the first production-ready release of the BitVMX platform
• Q1’26 – Jumplist Implementation:
  The Jumplist data structure will be integrated into BitVMX’s dispute verification engine, transitioning from theoretical design to operational use.
• Q1’26 – Wisch Signatures Implementation: The new signature scheme will be integrated into BitVMX’s dispute verification engine.

Security Track

• Q3 – Security Audits Request
• Q4 – Security Audits Publication
  Comprehensive security audits will be published to ensure protocol resilience and transparency.
• Q4 – Bug Bounty Program Launch

Platform Integration Track

The Platform Integration Track focuses on expanding the utility and accessibility of BitVMX through SDKs and interoperability with external zero-knowledge virtual machines (zkVMs).

• Q2 – BitVMX SDK with RiscZero Integration:
  The initial release of the BitVMX Software Development Kit (SDK) will include native support for RiscZero, marking a major step in developer enablement and cross-system compatibility.
• Q3 – zkVM Expansion:
  BitVMX will extend support to SP1 and more zkVMs, positioning it as a flexible and extensible platform for multiple proving backends.
• Q4 – Native Services Launch:
  BitVMX will introduce native services aimed at improving user and developer experience, enabling more seamless protocol interaction and service composition.

Education and Outreach Track

The fifth Track emphasizes knowledge dissemination, developer onboarding, and community building.

• Q2 – Community Expansion:
  As new events, publications and developments are disclosed, the BitVMX community will keep on expanding and welcoming new contributors and members into BitVMX FORCE, reinforcing the initiative's commitment to openness and collaborative progress.
• Q3 – Learning Resources and First Hackathon:
  A dedicated section featuring tutorials and sample projects will be launched on the BitVMX website. The quarter will also include the first official BitVMX Hackathon, designed to catalyze exploration and development. (The date and location of the BitVMX Hackathon is still to be confirmed)
• Q4 – Contest and Second Hackathon:
  The roadmap includes a developer contest and a second hackathon to further grow the ecosystem and recognize innovation within the community.

The BitVMX 2025 Roadmap outlines a strategic path to strengthen BitVMX’s position as the premier solution for Disputable Computing on Bitcoin. By driving progress across research, protocol implementation, platform interoperability, and community participation, the initiative lays the groundwork for a more expressive and secure computational layer rooted in Bitcoin’s foundational principles.

Stakeholders, developers, and researchers are encouraged to follow progress and participate through bitvmx.org/force.