OP_CAT is a proposed Bitcoin upgrade that aims to bring Ethereum-like smart contract capabilities to the world's oldest and largest blockchain network. Despite having a number of supporters, OP_CAT is still in the very early stages of gaining the consensus needed to be merged into the Bitcoin core software, CoinDesk reported.

Layer-2 developer StarkWare, the main builder of the Starknet network on Ethereum, has demonstrated what is possible on the Bitcoin blockchain if the OP_CAT proposal is adopted. StarkWare used OP_CAT in a Bitcoin test environment called Signet to show how zero-knowledge proofs, an increasingly popular cryptographic technique for compressing data or proving the validity of a statement without providing information that could compromise privacy, could be performed on the oldest blockchain.

StarkWare said the project aims to demonstrate the capabilities of OP_CAT, a proposed Bitcoin upgrade that is believed to bring Ethereum-style smart contract programming capabilities, which have historically been missing on the blockchain designed by Satoshi Nakamoto as a peer-to-peer payment system. Despite its supporters, OP_CAT is still in the very early stages of gaining the consensus needed to be merged into the Bitcoin core software.

StarkWare said in a press release that it publicly supports the approval of the proposal because it brings clear benefits to the Bitcoin community and the broader blockchain ecosystem.