Xiaohui Liu

FounderFounder & CEO of OP_CAT Labs; Creator of sCrypt

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About Xiaohui Liu

Xiaohui Liu is the Founder and CEO of OP_CAT Labs and the creator of sCrypt, a high-level smart contract programming language for Bitcoin's UTXO model. With a PhD in Computer Science focused on peer-to-peer distributed networking, Liu previously worked as a research scientist at Meta's (Facebook's) Connectivity Lab before dedicating himself full-time to Bitcoin smart contract research. sCrypt enables developers to write Bitcoin smart contracts in a TypeScript-like syntax, compiling down to Bitcoin Script, and is used across Bitcoin, Litecoin, and other UTXO-based blockchains. OP_CAT Labs focuses specifically on OP_CAT covenant research, smart contract experimentation, and the CAT Protocol—a token issuance and programmability framework. As of 2026, OP_CAT remains a proposed opcode under discussion for Bitcoin Core activation and has not been merged into Bitcoin consensus rules. Collaborations with StarkWare, Bitlayer, and other ecosystems should be verified from current first-party disclosures.

Projects Founded

OP_CAT Labs
sCrypt
CAT Protocol

Career Timeline

Pre-2019

PhD in Computer Science (P2P distributed networking). Research scientist at Meta (Facebook) Connectivity Lab.

2019–2021

Created sCrypt, a TypeScript-like high-level programming language for Bitcoin Script, enabling smart contract development on Bitcoin's UTXO model.

2022–2023

Expanded sCrypt platform with tooling, IDE support, and multi-chain UTXO support. Began OP_CAT covenant research.

2024

Founded OP_CAT Labs to accelerate Bitcoin OP_CAT R&D and launched CAT Protocol for token issuance on Bitcoin. OP_CAT remains a proposal; not activated on Bitcoin mainnet.

2025–2026

Continued OP_CAT Labs research and sCrypt development. Spoke at Bitcoin MENA 2026 and Bitcoin Asia. Ongoing ecosystem collaborations under verification.

Key Contributions

sCrypt Language Creation

Created sCrypt, the first TypeScript-like high-level programming language for Bitcoin Script, making Bitcoin smart contract development accessible to a broader developer audience.

OP_CAT Labs Founding

Founded OP_CAT Labs to conduct dedicated research into Bitcoin covenant opcodes, specifically OP_CAT, and their applications for smart contracts and programmability.

CAT Protocol

Created the CAT Protocol as a token issuance and programmability framework built on top of Bitcoin's UTXO model, distinct from sCrypt the company and from Bitcoin consensus changes.

UTXO Smart Contract Research

Advanced the theoretical and practical foundations of smart contracts on UTXO-based blockchains, contributing to the broader Bitcoin programmability discourse.

Academia-to-Bitcoin Bridge

Brought a rigorous academic and industry R&D background (Meta Connectivity Lab, PhD in distributed systems) to Bitcoin protocol research and developer tooling.