On July 10, 2025, the LNP/BP Standards Association announced the launch of RGB version 0.12, an intelligent contract protocol designed to work with Bitcoin and Lightning Network.
This development was led by Maxim Orlovsky for six years, Matches protocol governance transfer to the RGB consortiuma non-profit organism that assumes the maintenance of consensus, leaving a free Orlovsky to explore new projects related to self-employment identity.
This new version introduces significant improvements, including the integration of ZK-Stark, a cryptographic technology that optimizes transaction validation and enhances privacy. By reducing the need for data within the blockchain.
Additionally, v0.12 provides forward compatibility for contracts. This means that future updates will not break existing features and will need to replace previous contracts to ensure security and consistency.
These characteristics position the protocol as a stable tool for developers and publishing who are looking to implement digital assets in the main network and lightning.
RGB could be a new chapter in Bitcoin as its protocol is based on a client-side verification model. They are validated locally by the useravoid large data on the network.
This allows for bitcoin scalability and privacy (missing characteristics) when using mainchain and Lightning network anchors to compromise only the operational overview.
Protocols that evolved from that concept can be created from stubcoins to property tokens. Individuals manage their assets without a centralized intermediary. In this sense, RGB is one of the protocols most consistent with Bitcoin’s original Cypherpunk vision and its philosophy, especially among them. They are trying to protect sovereignty over individual identity.
With the move to the RGB Consortium, the management of the protocol is decentralized, reflecting changes in governance structures that seek to maintain independence. Orlovsky emphasized in X’s post that this step marks the end of a personal stage and opens the door to initiatives such as Ubioretai, focusing on digital sovereignty.
At the same time, companies like Pandora Prime They plan to launch RGB-based products such as Ray Wallet and LNUSDT.suggesting that the ecosystem around this technology is ready to expand, taking advantage of its stable V0.12 capabilities.