Bitcoin Devs Propose Radical Freeze of Quantum-Vulnerable BTC — Including Satoshi’s
Bitcoin developers have floated a groundbreaking proposal to address an emerging cryptographic crisis: quantum computers that may soon be capable of breaking core Bitcoin security. The draft Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP), led by Casa CTO Jameson Lopp and five others, aims to freeze coins stored in old-style addresses, including those linked to Satoshi Nakamoto, unless holders migrate to quantum-resistant formats .
🔐 Why This Matters
- Roughly 25–30% of Bitcoin’s total supply resides in legacy addresses whose public keys are already exposed on the blockchain — vulnerable to quantum attacks .
- Quantum computers capable of cracking Bitcoin’s elliptic-curve cryptography could materialize as soon as 2027–2030, according to experts .
🚦 Phased Migration Plan
The proposal outlines a three-phase soft fork approach :
- Phase A: Ban sends to vulnerable address types like ECDSA/Schnorr, nudging users to shift toward quantum-safe addresses (e.g., P2QRH).
- Phase B: Two years later, legacy signatures become invalid—coins in old addresses become frozen.
- Phase C (optional): Introduce a recovery mechanism via ZK-proof of seed possession to reclaim frozen BTC.
🧩 Technical & Community Trade-offs
- It marks an unprecedented move in Bitcoin’s evolution: taking direct protocol action to freeze coins for future safety .
- The slow upgrade path balances caution against existential risk. Yet expanded signature sizes for post‑quantum addresses may stress the network .
🔭 Looking Ahead
- The proposal is still in draft form and faces lengthy debate within the Bitcoin community.
- If activated, wallets, custodians, and long-dormant holders (including Satoshi’s circa 1 million BTC) must act or those coins will be locked out.
- The measure signals an urgent shift: Bitcoin is acknowledging and prepping for quantum cryptography’s looming threat.
