The node
Why BLVM?
Bitcoin’s consensus rules are scattered across hundreds of thousands of lines of C++. There is no single document for “correct Bitcoin behavior.” Every alternative rediscovers the rules from Core’s source and hopes they got it right. BLVM fixes that.
One spec, many implementations
The Orange Paper is a formal mathematical specification of Bitcoin consensus extracted from Bitcoin Core. Instead of each node team guessing at the rules, they implement against the spec and prove compatibility. Divergence becomes detectable before it hits mainnet.
Verified, not just tested
BLVM consensus code carries #[spec_locked] annotations that tie every consensus-critical function back to the Orange Paper section it implements. Z3 discharges proof obligations automatically. If the code drifts from the spec, CI catches it before merge.
Checked against Core, in layers
A single chain replay is not enough. Compatibility is exercised by property tests, libFuzzer on consensus, protocol, and node, golden vectors from mainnet wire bytes and Core script fixtures, and a differential against Bitcoin Core / libbitcoinkernel. Each layer is meant to catch a different class of mistake.
Governance you can fork
Bitcoin Commons governance publishes every rule: who can merge, what thresholds are required, how long review windows last. Cryptographic multisig enforces it. If you disagree with a rule you fork the governance, not the chain.
Not a new coin
BLVM implements the same Bitcoin consensus rules as Bitcoin Core. Same chain, same UTXO set, same 21 million supply convergence — formally proven in Theorem 6.2.3. The goal is a safer, more diverse Bitcoin network, not a new one.
Built for operators
Packaged installs on GitHub Releases. Marketplace packages for Start9, Umbrel, myNode, and Parmanode are coming. You should not need a Rust compiler to run a verified Bitcoin node.