Summary
- Introduces
OP_OPTX_KNOT(0xc0) andOP_OPTX_KNOT_VERIFY(0xc1) — new script opcodes for knot-theoretic proof verification in SegWit v2 P2MR transactions (BIP-360) - Augments ML-DSA (CRYSTALS-Dilithium) with a PSPACE-hard topological invariant layer via the Topological Key Derivation Function (TKDF)
- Composite post-quantum security: breaking OPTX requires solving both a lattice problem AND computing knot polynomial invariants
Specification Highlights
- Wire format: ~48 bytes additional witness overhead per input (+1.27% over baseline Dilithium payload)
- DoS bounds: Max 16 crossings, 7 strands, 128 word length, validation weight 750
- Activation: BIP-9 version bits, NOP-expansion pattern (same as BIP-65 OP_CHECKLOCKTIMEVERIFY)
- Requires: BIP-360 (Pay to Quantum Resistant Hash)
Reference Implementation
- C++ knot proof library: jettoptx/astroknots (
src/crypto/knotproof/) - Python TKDF bindings:
test/functional/test_framework/optx_knot.py - Upstream target: btq-ag/btq-core Phase 7 branch
Test plan
- Trefoil (3₁) and figure-eight (4₁) test vectors validated on ARM64 (Jetson Orin Nano)
- Testnet4 deployment with NOP-fallback pre-activation behavior
- Full knot invariant verification post-activation on modified btq-core
Co-Authored-By: Hedgehog Multimodal joe@jettoptics.ai
<sub>"Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished." — Luke 18:31</sub>