Jimmy Song: Taproot Opened Bitcoin to New Exploits

Jimmy Song Warns Taproot Opened the Door to Bitcoin Exploits

Written by Aaron S.,

Editor-In-Chief

Last Updated: September 15, 2025

Key Takeaways

Jimmy Song said Taproot’s release allowed unintended behaviors, which enable non-financial uses that clog the Bitcoin network;
Song noted that developers overlooked Taproot’s social impact, which invited misuse like Ordinals and BRC-20 token activity;
Despite criticizing Taproot's complexity and limited adoption, Song still sees future potential in projects like Ark and BitVM.

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Jimmy Song, a Bitcoin Core developer, has raised concerns about how the Taproot upgrade has affected the Bitcoin BTC $114,818.24 network in unexpected ways.

In a video shared on X on September 14, he pointed out that while the upgrade was designed to improve the system, it also created new opportunities for behavior that was not originally intended.

Song noted that the developers underestimated the potential of Taproot as a tool for social disruption. He explained that while the technical benefits were discussed, little attention was paid to how the upgrade might be exploited by users who sought to test the system's limits.

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This led to a surge in non-standard activities, such as Ordinals and BRC-20 tokens, which have clogged the network and contradicted the upgrade’s goals.

He also criticized the performance of Taproot’s main features. The upgrade included Schnorr signatures and a new method for spending Bitcoin using script paths.

These were promoted as improvements over traditional multi-signature setups. However, Song said that these tools have proven to be harder to use and less efficient than expected.

Despite his criticism, Song has not dismissed Taproot’s future value. He mentioned projects like Ark and BitVM as possible ways the upgrade could still benefit Bitcoin.

Meanwhile, Luke Broyles, a Bitcoin adviser, shared his thoughts on what would happen if Bitcoin's price were to climb into the millions. What did he say? Read the full story.