What Is BIP 119? Bitcoin Controversy Explained

It’s been hard to ignore the discussion around CheckTemplateVerify (CTV) over the past few weeks as it has apparently been generating a divide in the Bitcoin community with developers, users and companies taking sides on whether the activation of the proposed upgrade would be a net positive or negative to the network.

Amid the discussion, however, many misconceptions surfaced on what CTV actually is and what it can and cannot do. Therefore, an easy-to-follow explanation is in order to clear up misconceptions before diving into the details of the recent debate.