Bitcoin VM - FAQ

Is Bitcoin VM Bitcoin?

No.

Bitcoin VM is not Bitcoin, and it does not claim to be.

Bitcoin refers to the Proof-of-Work network with its own consensus rules, monetary policy, and settlement guarantees. Bitcoin VM is a separate system that mirrors Bitcoin’s UTXO execution model while running under a different consensus mechanism.

Bitcoin remains unchanged.

Does Bitcoin VM modify or upgrade Bitcoin?

No.

Bitcoin VM:

• Does not require a soft fork or hard fork

• Does not change Bitcoin consensus

• Does not change block times or issuance

• Does not interact with Bitcoin Core

Bitcoin VM exists entirely outside Bitcoin.

Is this a Bitcoin sidechain or Layer 2?

No.

Bitcoin VM does not:

• Settle to Bitcoin

• Anchor state to Bitcoin

• Use Bitcoin as a security or settlement layer

It is best described as a Bitcoin-style execution environment hosted on Metal Blockchain.

Why call it “Bitcoin VM” at all?

Because it mirrors Bitcoin’s execution and accounting model, not its consensus.

Bitcoin VM uses:

• A UTXO-based transaction model

• Bitcoin-like scripting semantics

• Familiar transaction flows

The name reflects execution compatibility, not network authority.

Why Proof of Stake instead of Proof of Work?

Proof of Stake is used because Bitcoin VM is an execution environment, not a settlement layer.

Snowman Proof of Stake enables:

• Sub-second finality

• High throughput

• Lower operational costs

• Predictable execution guarantees

Bitcoin’s Proof of Work is optimized for global, objective settlement. Bitcoin VM optimizes for fast execution under different assumptions.

Is Proof of Stake “better” than Proof of Work?

No — it is different.

Proof of Work and Proof of Stake make different tradeoffs. Bitcoin VM does not attempt to replace or improve Bitcoin’s consensus model. It simply explores what Bitcoin-style execution looks like under Proof of Stake.

Does Bitcoin VM have a token?

No.

There is no new monetary asset introduced by Bitcoin VM itself.
There is no claim to monetary equivalence with bitcoin.

Does Bitcoin VM reduce Bitcoin’s security or miner incentives?

No.

Bitcoin VM operates independently and has no effect on Bitcoin miners, hash rate, or issuance. Bitcoin’s security model remains unchanged.

Is this meant for institutions or developers?

Both — carefully.

Developers benefit from:

• Familiar UTXO semantics

• Faster finality

• Expressive execution

Institutions benefit from:

• Deterministic settlement

• Lower operational complexity

• Clear consensus boundaries

Bitcoin VM is designed as infrastructure, not a consumer product.

Is Bitcoin VM open source?

Yes.

Bitcoin VM is released as open-source, experimental software.
The goal is transparency, reviewability, and long-term alignment — not lock-in.

Who should not use Bitcoin VM?

Bitcoin VM is not intended for:

• Replacing Bitcoin

• Acting as a global settlement layer

• Applications requiring Bitcoin-level censorship resistance

• Systems that depend on Proof of Work security assumptions

Those use cases belong on Bitcoin itself.

What is the goal of this project?

To explore a narrow question:

What does Bitcoin-style execution look like when separated from Proof of Work?

Bitcoin VM is one possible answer — published openly, with clear boundaries and no claims beyond what it can support.

Where is the code?

The initial public repository will be released soon.

The first release focuses on:

• Core VM logic

• UTXO handling

• Snowman consensus integration

• Reference implementation

Final Clarification

Bitcoin VM does not compete with Bitcoin.

Bitcoin does not need competition.

Bitcoin VM exists because experimentation belongs outside Bitcoin — not inside it.