Bitcoin Script
Bitcoin Script is the limited, stack-based scripting language used to define conditions for spending Bitcoin transactions.
Bitcoin Script is the limited, stack-based scripting language used to define conditions for spending Bitcoin transaction...
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Sep 2026 · Verheidsscore: 50%
What is Bitcoin Script?
Bitcoin Script is the limited, stack-based scripting language used to define conditions for spending Bitcoin transactions.
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Every Bitcoin output is locked with a scriptPubKey (a "lock" script), and spending it requires an unlocking script (scriptSig or witness). The two scripts are executed together on a stack; if execution completes with a truthy value, the spe
Bitcoin Script is why Bitcoin is more than digital cash: it enables multisig, timelocks, and second-layer systems like Lightning. Understanding Script illuminates Bitcoin's security model and its deliberate trade-off of expressiveness for s
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1. What Is Bitcoin Script
Bitcoin Script is the stack-based, non-Turing-complete scripting language used to define the conditions under which bitcoins can be spent. It powers everything from simple single-signature payments to multisig and complex smart contracts.
2. How It Works
Every Bitcoin output is locked with a scriptPubKey (a "lock" script), and spending it requires an unlocking script (scriptSig or witness). The two scripts are executed together on a stack; if execution completes with a truthy value, the spend is valid. Script is intentionally limited — no loops or unbounded computation — to keep validation deterministic and safe.
3. Why It Matters
Bitcoin Script is why Bitcoin is more than digital cash: it enables multisig, timelocks, and second-layer systems like Lightning. Understanding Script illuminates Bitcoin's security model and its deliberate trade-off of expressiveness for safety, which contrasts with Turing-complete chains like Ethereum.
4. Key Facts
- Standard opcodes: OP_DUP, OP_HASH160, OP_EQUALVERIFY, OP_CHECKSIG
- Taproot (2021) introduced Tapscript with Schnorr signatures and MAST
- Non-Turing-complete: no loops or recursion
- Lightning Network is built on HTLCs expressed in Script
5. Related Concepts
- bitcoin
- taproot
- smart-contract
- segwit
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bitcoin Script?
Bitcoin Script is the limited, stack-based scripting language used to define conditions for spending Bitcoin transactions.
How does Bitcoin Script work?
Bitcoin Script is the stack-based, non-Turing-complete scripting language used to define the conditions under which bitcoins can be spent. It powers everything from simple single-signature payments to multisig and complex smart contracts. Every Bitcoin output is locked with a scriptPubKey (a "lock"
Why does Bitcoin Script matter in Web3?
- taproot - smart-contract - segwit