Bitcoin network refers to the backbone of Bitcoin. These are decentralized systems that involve users, miners, nodes, wallets, and blockchain technology, all working together to keep the Bitcoin network running.

The Bitcoin network uses blockchain technology to operate it, recording all transactions made in the network. This technology is a distributed ledger that is maintained by a network of computers called nodes. Each node in the network maintains a copy of the ledger, and these nodes communicate with each other to validate and propagate transactions. This ensures that the ledger is always up-to-date and that no single entity can control the network. Users, miners, and wallets have roles to play in maintaining the Bitcoin network. Users send and receive Bitcoin transactions, miners validate transactions and add them to the blockchain, and wallets are where Bitcoin is stored.

Core Aspects of the Bitcoin Network

Decentralization is a core aspect of Bitcoin networks, as they are not governed by a central authority. Instead, a network of computers collaborates to validate transactions and add new blocks to the blockchain. This decentralized nature enhances the security of Bitcoin, eliminating the vulnerability of a single point of failure that could be exploited by attackers.

Peer-to-peer communication is another crucial feature of Bitcoin networks. Nodes directly communicate with each other using a peer-to-peer protocol. When a transaction occurs, it is broadcasted to all connected nodes. Through cryptographic algorithms, the nodes verify the transaction and add it to a block, which is subsequently appended to the blockchain.

However, the Bitcoin network has hurdles on its transaction processing speed, primarily because blocks have a finite size and are processed by miners every 10 minutes. As a result, issues have come to the spotlight regarding Bitcoin's scalability in the coming years. Nevertheless, several Bitcoin protocol upgrade suggestions have been presented to address these concerns.

Bitcoin Protocol Upgrades

In addition to these fundamental characteristics, Bitcoin networks employ various protocols and upgrades to improve efficiency, scalability, and security. For instance, networks like SegWit, Native SegWit, and Taproot are designed to enhance these aspects, reducing transaction costs, increasing speed, and enabling more complex smart contracts. 

SegWit is a Bitcoin protocol upgrade that reduces the size of each transaction's data by separating certain data of the transaction signature from the transaction. This makes transactions lighter in size, which allows more transactions to fit into a single Bitcoin block. As a result, the Bitcoin network becomes more scalable and its transactions are faster. 

On the other hand, Native Segwit is a more efficient version of SegWit that offers faster transaction speeds, better scalability, and lower fees. Native Segwit utilizes a different signature format that is more compact compared to the signature format that Segwit uses. This is why processing Native Segwit transactions are smaller and faster. Aside from this, scalability is another advantage of Native SegWit over Segwit since it handles more transactions per block. Finally, there are lower fees in Native Segwit than in Segwit fees because of better efficiency.

Taproot, a Bitcoin protocol upgrade, prioritizes privacy, efficiency, and smart contract enhancements. Through the use of Schnorr signatures, Taproot has improved in terms of privacy. These signatures offer better anonymity than the current Bitcoin signature scheme. Hence, enhanced privacy is achieved for Bitcoin users since tracking the origin of transactions becomes more difficult. Moreover, Taproot significantly enhances network scalability and reduces transaction fees by effectively addressing scalability concerns through transaction size reduction. Additionally, Taproot introduces Tapscript, a new scripting language that is both more efficient and flexible than the existing scripts in Bitcoin. This innovation puts greater possibilities at the forefront for smart contracts on the Bitcoin network.

Overall, Bitcoin utilizes each of the key components of the network to enable secure, peer-to-peer transactions, with continuous improvements being made to enhance their functionality and address scalability challenges.

The Bitcoin network are still in the early stages of their development. With the continuous evolution of technology and the collaborative efforts of the global community, further advancements, innovations, and transformative applications are expected to emerge.