2026-05-15 Network Upgrade Specification
imaginary_username (Bitcoin Cash Node)
Version 1, 2026-01-09
The following changes to the Bitcoin Cash network activate on 15 May 2026:
- CHIP-2024-12 P2S: Pay to Script (Discussion).
- CHIP-2021-05-loops: Bounded Looping Operations (Discussion).
- CHIP-2025-05 Functions: Function Definition and Invocation Operations (Discussion).
- CHIP-2025-05 Bitwise: Re-Enable Bitwise Operations (Discussion).
The new consensus rules in the abovementioned CHIP will take effect on the main network (mainnet) once the median time past (MTP) [1] of the most recent 11 blocks is greater than or equal to UNIX timestamp 1778846400 (May 15, 2026 12:00:00 UTC).
Please refer to the corresponding CHIP resources for more information.
On the 'chipnet' test network, this upgrade activates 6 months early, once the median time past (MTP) [1] of the most recent 11 blocks is greater than or equal to UNIX timestamp 1763208000 (November 16, 2025 12:00:00 UTC). All other test networks will upgrade to the new rules using the same MTP criteria as the main network. [2]
References / Notes
[1] Median Time Past is described in bitcoin.it wiki. It is guaranteed by consensus rules to be monotonically increasing.
[2] As all test networks have their own distinct blockchains, their upgrades will not be at the exact same times, due to mining variations.
License of this document
This document is dedicated to the public domain using the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.