🛠️ 1. Protocol upgrade (new Bitcoin features)

The most discussed upcoming upgrades are proposals like OP_CAT and OP_CTV, which add advanced scripting capabilities to Bitcoin. According to Galaxy Research:

A consensus among Bitcoin Core developers on implementing either OP_CAT or OP_CTV is expected in 2025.

If agreed upon, the full implementation—via a soft fork—could take 1 to 2 years of testing and activation Galaxy+2DAIC Capital+2.

This means the next protocol feature release may arrive around 2026 or later, depending on the community's approval process and miner adoption.

🔄 2. Economic update: the next Bitcoin halving

Alternatively, many refer to the next halving, which cuts mining rewards in half and has historically impacted price cycles:

The fourth halving occurred on April 20, 2024 at block 840,000, reducing the block reward from 6.25 to 3.125 BTC Binance+2Kraken+2Cointelegraph+4Wikipedia+4Swan Bitcoin+4.

The fifth halving is estimated to take place around March–April 2028, lowering rewards from 3.125 to 1.5625 BTC per block 99bitcoins.com+6Swan Bitcoin+6Kraken+6.

Because Bitcoin’s block intervals vary slightly, the exact date isn’t fixed, but it's expected within spring 2028.

📋 Quick Summary
Type of UpdateDescriptionTimingProtocol upgradeOP_CAT or OP_CTV soft-forkConsensus expected in 2025; activation by ~2026–2027Bitcoin halving (economic)Block reward reduction from 3.125 to 1.5625 BTCExpected March–April 2028
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