Overview

What is BTX?

BTX is a peer-to-peer computational settlement system combining matrix-multiplication proof-of-work, post-quantum spend policies, shielded settlement with selective disclosure, and a layered architecture designed for institutions, exchanges, bridges, and autonomous agents.

The protocol is built on Bitcoin Knots v29.2 and diverges from upstream Bitcoin in several fundamental ways:

• MatMul Proof-of-Work — block production requires 512×512 matrix multiplication over the finite field F(2^31 − 1), binding each proof to present chain state
• Post-Quantum Cryptography — ML-DSA-44 (FIPS 204) and SLH-DSA-128s (FIPS 205) spend paths from genesis
• Shielded Settlement — SMILE v2 was introduced at block 0; current production support is limited to shielded-to-transparent exits and recovery after the 125000/128000 shield-ingress sunsets
• 90-second blocks with per-block ASERT difficulty adjustment
• 21M fixed supply, 20 BTX initial subsidy, 525,000-block halving interval

Network Parameters

Default Ports

Network	RPC Port	P2P Port
Mainnet	19334	19335
Testnet3	29334	29335
Testnet4	48332	48333
Signet	38332	38333
Regtest	18443	18444
shieldedv2dev	19443	19444

Chain Parameters

Parameter	Mainnet	Test Networks	Regtest
Matrix Dimension	512	256	64
Noise Rank	8	4	4
Block Time Target	90s	90s	0s
Block Weight Limit	24 MWU	24 MWU	24 MWU
Address Format	Bech32m witness v2 P2MR (btx1z...)

Quick Start

Build the node from source:

git clone https://github.com/btxchain/btx
cd btx
cmake -B build-btx
cmake --build build-btx -j$(nproc)

Start the mainnet node:

./build-btx/bin/btxd -mainnet -rpcport=19334

Check network status:

./build-btx/bin/btx-cli -rpcport=19334 getmininginfo

Architecture

BTX follows a narrow base layer philosophy. The base layer orders settlement instructions, enforces spend conditions, maintains transparent and shielded state, and publishes a public work benchmark. Higher-layer systems — bank ledgers, exchanges, bridge operators, agent coordination services — settle against that base without sharing a global runtime.

The rules of settlement are identical for every participant. Any participant satisfying the spend conditions can settle. Any participant not satisfying them cannot.

Next Steps

• Installation Guide — detailed build instructions for all platforms
• RPC Reference — complete API documentation
• Mining Guide — MatMul mining operations
• MatMul PoW Specification — full technical specification