* [bitcoindev] Knowledge Gathering: SPV Proof Applications In the Wild and Proposed
@ 2026-05-14 14:46 jeremy
2026-05-14 19:09 ` [bitcoindev] " Ekrem BAL
0 siblings, 1 reply; 2+ messages in thread
From: jeremy @ 2026-05-14 14:46 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Bitcoin Development Mailing List
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Dear Bitcoin Developers,
SPV proofs are an important part of Bitcoin's Design, after all Satoshi
thought they were worth including in the whitepaper!
As far as I'm aware, they have somewhat limited usage in the wild, mainly
in Electrum and in Layer 2 Bridges, but it is important that they work
correctly.
I'd like to gather a bit more detailed information on where and how SPV
proofs are currently used, as well as any other proposed uses of SPV proofs.
In this Knowledge Gathering, I'd also like to glean a better understanding
of what types of commitment structures might work "better" than others for
SPV -- e.g., ability to cheaply verify if a block pays a particular
address, spends a particular coin, and the exclusion forms (does not pay an
address, does not spend a coin) etc, especially in the context of Layer 2
Bridging.
Happy International Chihuahua Appreciation Day,
Jeremy
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* [bitcoindev] Re: Knowledge Gathering: SPV Proof Applications In the Wild and Proposed
2026-05-14 14:46 [bitcoindev] Knowledge Gathering: SPV Proof Applications In the Wild and Proposed jeremy
@ 2026-05-14 19:09 ` Ekrem BAL
0 siblings, 0 replies; 2+ messages in thread
From: Ekrem BAL @ 2026-05-14 19:09 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Bitcoin Development Mailing List
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Hi Jeremy,
For Citrea/Clementine, we currently use SPV-style proofs in two main places.
First, on the Citrea side, the Bridge system contract uses Bitcoin
transaction inclusion proofs to accept peg-ins/deposits. See:
<https://github.com/chainwayxyz/citrea/blob/487daa67fc54feb789b618a0ca2be1cc2f09b198/crates/evm/src/evm/system_contracts/src/Bridge.sol#L196>
The contract checks inclusion through Citrea's Bitcoin light client
contract. More details here:
<https://docs.citrea.xyz/developer-documentation/system-contracts/bitcoin-light-client>
Second, in the Clementine Bridge proof, we use SPV proofs for verifying
operator payout transactions. If an operator is challenged, the operator
proves that there exists a payout transaction paying the withdrawal. See:
<https://github.com/chainwayxyz/clementine/blob/b711e92ef2725e8b3cdaacc2683583f11b5aec28/circuits-lib/src/bridge_circuit/spv.rs>
On your question about commitment structures, I think being able to verify
that a particular coin was not spent in a block might be helpful, as it
could make creating SNARK proofs for operator honesty easier in some bridge
designs.
Best,
Ekrem BAL
On Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 10:47:59 AM UTC-4 jeremy wrote:
> Dear Bitcoin Developers,
>
> SPV proofs are an important part of Bitcoin's Design, after all Satoshi
> thought they were worth including in the whitepaper!
>
> As far as I'm aware, they have somewhat limited usage in the wild, mainly
> in Electrum and in Layer 2 Bridges, but it is important that they work
> correctly.
>
> I'd like to gather a bit more detailed information on where and how SPV
> proofs are currently used, as well as any other proposed uses of SPV proofs.
>
> In this Knowledge Gathering, I'd also like to glean a better understanding
> of what types of commitment structures might work "better" than others for
> SPV -- e.g., ability to cheaply verify if a block pays a particular
> address, spends a particular coin, and the exclusion forms (does not pay an
> address, does not spend a coin) etc, especially in the context of Layer 2
> Bridging.
>
> Happy International Chihuahua Appreciation Day,
>
> Jeremy
>
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2026-05-14 19:09 ` [bitcoindev] " Ekrem BAL
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