A technical controversy erupted on
The right way to Make Bitcoin “Quantum Secure”
“Up to now, it was about defending your PRIVATE KEY (seed phrase). Within the coming period of massive, scary quantum computer systems (BSQC), you additionally want to guard your public keys. Mainly, BSQC can determine your non-public key out of your public key. The present taproot tackle (in its trendy kind) will not be safe. It’s an tackle that begins with “bc1p” and it’s not a good suggestion to embed the general public key within the tackle,” Woo wrote on November 11.
His argument hinges on a well known distinction between Bitcoin Script varieties. Taproot (P2TR) encodes the general public key straight into the output and tackle, whereas legacy codecs comparable to P2PKH/P2SH and SegWit P2WPKH hash the general public key and solely reveal it when cash are spent. These architectural variations will likely be necessary sooner or later, when sufficiently highly effective quantum computer systems can derive non-public keys from public keys. Unbiased references word that P2TR truly passes the general public key on the output, whereas P2PKH hides the general public key till a while has handed.
Woo's advert hoc playbook is simple. Transfer UTXOs to a bc1q (or “1”/”3″) tackle and proceed to obtain them at that tackle, however “don't ship any BTC on the market” till Bitcoin gives a quantum-resistant improve. At this level, holders ought to transfer throughout instances of low congestion and reduce the window by which their public keys are uncovered within the mempool. “Once you ship BTC to a brand new quantum-safe tackle when the community will not be congested, your non-public keys are revealed. It’s extremely unlikely that BSQC will steal your cash within the brief time period.”
He additionally warned that P2PK “Satoshi period” outputs had been probably the most dangerous and steered that misplaced cash with earlier spending historical past might be susceptible. “Satoshi’s 1 million cash utilizing historic P2PK addresses will likely be stolen (except a future gentle fork freezes them),” he wrote, including that ETFs, Treasury bonds and change chilly storage “may turn out to be quantum resistant if their custodians take motion” nicely earlier than a gentle fork happens.
Woo characterised the {industry}'s expectations for the arrival of “Q-Day” as “2030 and past,” highlighting that requirements for quantum resistance are already being rolled out throughout the broader crypto area.
Former Bitcoin Core administrator Jonas Schnelli agreed to the sanitization measures however backed off the framing. He known as Woo's plan a prudent reduction for unspent cash. “P2PKH gives years of safety, whereas Taproot exposes public keys immediately.” Nevertheless, it rejected the time period “quantum safe.”
In Schnelli's view, the second any spend is broadcast, “your public key hits the mempool. Earlier than the transaction is confirmed (~10 minutes), a quantum attacker can decrypt the important thing and double-spend the RBF.” “It’s not a everlasting answer, however a sensible precautionary measure,” he concluded.
At press time, BTC was buying and selling at $104,693.
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