BUIP078: Enable Binary Contracts in Bitcoin Cash via OP_DATASIGVERIFY
Proposer: Andrew Stone (@thezerg)
Submitted on: 2017-11-19
Status: passed

Summary

This BUIP proposes that BU implement the OP_DATASIGVERIFY opcode, and
reenable selected string and integer manipulation opcodes as described
here:
https://medium.com/@g.andrew.stone/bitcoin-scripting-applications-decision-based-spending-8e7b93d7bdb9

OP_DATASIGVERIFY allows a script to validate the signature on arbitrary
data using the same ECDSA algorithm (and code) used to validate the
signature on Bitcoin transactions. This opcode therefore enables the use
of an external “oracle”, which is a very important too to enable
external information to be imported into a transaction. Once the data is
part of a transaction it is useful to be able to manipulate it to check
various conditions on that data. This requires the re-enabling of
certain opcodes.

I believe that these opcodes were originally disabled when Bitcoin was
the only cryptocurrency because the potential of Bitcoin as a simple
payment system was too great to risk a setback due to and exploit in an
immature code base for a secondary use case. However, now that
cryptocurrencies are well established, it is time for some of these
seconondary uses cases to be reenabled.

This additional feature will drive use and therefore adoption of Bitcoin
Cash.

Specifically this BUIP authorizes us to:

1. Implement OP_DATASIGVERIFY, including all tests etc required to
   ensure the correctness and safety of the change.
2. Re-enable necessary string and integer opcodes, and clean up any
   issues with them.
3. Enable these opcodes on the BU “nol” network.
4. Work with the Bitcoin Cash community to enable these opcodes via
   hard fork on the Bitcoin Cash blockchain