Simplicity Nears Activation on Liquid Network as Elements 23.3.0 Launches

The Liquid Network took a major step forward this week with the release of Elements 23.3.0, enabling functionary operators to begin signaling support for Simplicity, a next-generation smart contracting language developed by Blockstream.

Simplicity is designed to replace Bitcoin Script with a more expressive and safer alternative. 

It offers formal verification, static resource analysis, and the ability to express any finitary function while deliberately remaining Turing incomplete to avoid unbounded computation. 

The language supports rigorous correctness proofs via its Coq formalization and is implemented in C and Haskell for use across the Liquid ecosystem.

Following the release, two more Liquid functionaries began signaling, moving Simplicity one step closer to activation. 

Activation on the Liquid mainnet requires unanimous support—100% of functionary operators must signal over a 10,080-block window, echoing the soft fork activation method seen in Bitcoin’s BIP-9.

The update includes numerous technical improvements and bug fixes, including:

• Defined testnet activation parameters for Simplicity.
• Enhanced wallet sync behavior.
• Fuzz testing and robustness improvements.
• Adjustments for dynafed compatibility.
• DNS seed updates and dust fee tuning.

Key contributors to this release include developers from Blockstream and the Liquid Federation.

Simplicity’s introduction marks a pivotal milestone for the Liquid sidechain as it pushes the boundaries of Bitcoin-based financial infrastructure. 

Once activated, it could unlock more advanced scripting and formal security for Bitcoin-native assets, making Liquid more attractive for institutions and developers seeking programmable Bitcoin functionality.

Track Simplicity activation progress live: simplicity-lang.org

More updates from Blockstream and the Liquid Federation are expected in the coming weeks as activation continues to advance.

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