The TSC would like to extend its sincere thanks to everyone who participated in the stakeholders’ submission phase of the Bitcoin SV technical standards roadmap 2021-2023 drafting process. The feedback and information gathered during the submission phase which took place in April have informed the roadmap that is now in public review.
We wish to take the opportunity to provide additional information on some of the submissions and address questions we have received during this stakeholders’ canvas stage.
Q: I see the Metanet and more broadly the ecosystem of on-chain data as a major area of focus with the potential to completely redefine the way that the internet works from a fundamental architectural perspective. I would suggest either changing the category to ‘tokenisation and on-chain data’ or having a completely separate category for on-chain data. Would you agree?
TSC: The TSC tend to agree that the Metanet and the on-chain data ecosystem could be more prominently represented in this roadmap. Structured data is different to tokenisation. Tokens can build on structured data, but that isn’t the only use of structured data. We are looking for the revised draft to include as a starting point:
Q: My company depends on further development in the identity area, but it has little representation in the roadmap. Do you agree it should be an area of focus?
TSC: From the feedback received, it is clear that there is strong interest in establishing an Identity standard for the Bitcoin SV ecosystem that defines how to manage and store user data. The TSC is looking at expanding the Paymail stream to increase focus on identity as an area for prioritisation. User control of their data will be addressed in the roadmap possibly under the structured data stream.
We also want to remind you that the standardisation process is industry-driven and the TSC does not decide when to develop a new standard. If your company work depends on areas that are yet to be standardised, we encourage you to submit a proposal and create a working group to develop standards of importance to you.
Q: Why are you using proprietary technology such as Paymail and Tokenized in the roadmap?
TSC: Paymail is not a proprietary technology – it is released under the OpenBSV license and has been adopted by multiple wallets already. Bsvalias.org is actually Paymail and is where the first version of the standard is hosted. Tokenisation is the stream of tokens that address the desire expressed by many in the ecosystem for different token systems to have some ability to interoperate.
Q: I see examples like BIP270 and Paymail in the roadmap. Is it decided that those are the solutions that the TSC will work on? What if there are alternative proposals? Will they be considered?
TSC: Prior art or proposal for considerations listed on the roadmap are commonly adopted ways of solving a problem that could either be turned into a standard or are part of proposals that are currently being considered for standardisation. Standards listed under this section haven’t been proposed for development yet. The TSC does not decide when to develop a new standard; it is the individuals or companies who wish to see elements standardised that come forward and propose them to the TSC. The working groups are very open-minded as to the solutions that are recommended. The presence of independent TSC members provides governance and balance to the discussions.
Q: What are some examples of standards that are useful in other industries?
TSC: A standard specification is an explicit set of requirements for an item, material, component, system or service. For example, there may be a specification for a turbine blade for a jet engine that defines the exact material and performance requirements. Standard units, in physics and applied mathematics, are commonly accepted measurements of physical quantities. A standard practice or procedure gives a set of instructions for performing operations or functions. For example, there are detailed standard operating procedures for the operation of a nuclear power plant. More commonly used examples include electricity outlet sockets and chargers for laptops and mobile phones.
Q: Can Paymail services be standardised with an OAuth addition, such that we don’t have separate APIs for each wallet and don’t require from every website to integrate ‘sign in with MoneyButton’ or ‘sign in with HandCash’ or RelayX, DotWallet etc.? We should be able to just signup with Paymail (any Paymail), which handles the requests for OAuth and granting access to limited funds etc.
TSC: The TSC agrees that this would be useful for developers and customers alike. This would probably be addressed under the ‘identity services’ workstream.
Q: Is phraseology/terms going to be standardised?
TSC: The committee is working on publishing existing useful links/libraries and a glossary. We invite you to contribute and collaborate on these items. You can email [email protected] to share links to existing documents or libraries of interest.
Q: What is the process to submit a proposal?
TSC: The proposal to develop a standard is the entry point to the standards process. Proposers should use the submission form to articulate the high-level goal of the standard they wish to develop. At this stage, the solution overview should not be too detailed. The TSC will review the submission and if successful, a working group will be created to drive the standard to completion. Everyone can submit a proposal. It is not necessary to be a member of Bitcoin Association to submit a proposal and some working groups have expert participants from outside the BSV community.
