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The newly released Bitcoin Core 0.11.2 introduces a new script operation: OP_CHECKLOCKTIMEVERIFY. Abbreviated as CLTV
The new payment method allows transaction output to be unavailable before a certain point in the future. Although using simple transaction settings and transaction lock time can achieve similar functions, CLTV can be combined with other script commands, such as multi-signature and algorithm operations, to create complex transaction contracts.
For example, you can create a 2-3 multi-signature output and set it to get a signature when a certain date is reached. The CLTV instruction is a step towards more complex applications of Bitcoin.
Another important development that is taking shape is payment channels. The payment channel allows one party to make repeated micropayments with the other party, but only the first and last transactions are disclosed, so as to avoid putting too much burden on the blockchain. Some variants of this concept, such as the Lightning Network, have been extended to allow users to conduct secure Bitcoin transactions through a network of payment channels without publishing every transaction on the blockchain.