BTC Asia Conference Topic Discussion: Should OP_CAT be restored on Bitcoin?

1. The article discusses the issue of restoring the OP_CAT operation instruction in the Bitcoin script language, a technical topic discussed at the Bitcoin Asia Conference.
2. OP_CAT is an opcode for concatenating two strings. It once existed in the Bitcoin script language but was later deleted. The discussion of restoring OP_CAT is actually about implementing similar functions in Tapscript, an extension of Taproot, rather than restoring it in the original Bitcoin instructions.
3. Supporters of restoring OP_CAT believe that this will enhance the programmability of the Bitcoin mainnet and the functionality of smart contracts, helping Bitcoin to develop from a network used only for payments to a versatile and scalable computing platform.
4. The article explores the status and role of the Bitcoin protocol in Web3.0 and the basic principles of adding instructions to Tapscript. The author believes that Tapscript should maintain appropriate scalability but should not be over-designed.
5. Regarding the decision-making power on whether to restore OP_CAT, the article believes that this needs to consider the opinions of the Bitcoin Core development team, miners, ecological developers and the community. The author personally predicts that although the process may be tortuous, the proposal may eventually be passed because economic factors will be the decisive influencing factor.