Bitcoin could be heading for its most sweeping cryptographic overhaul yet if a new proposal gains traction.
A draft Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) titled Quantum-Resistant Address Migration Protocol (QRAMP) has been introduced by developer Agustin Cruz. It outlines a plan to enforce a network-wide migration of BTC from legacy wallets to ones secured by post-quantum cryptography.
Quantum computing involves shifting away from a process reliant on binary code—ones and zeros—and exponentially increasing computing power by employing Quantum bits (qubits) that exist in multiple states simultaneously. Such a leap in technology is expected to threaten modern computing encryption built by classical machines.
The proposal suggests that after a predetermined block height, nodes running the updated software would reject any transaction attempting to spend coins from an address using ECDSA cryptography, which could potentially be vulnerable to quantum attacks.
A Hard Fork Debate
Currently, Bitcoin relies on algorithms, including SHA-256 for mining and the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) for signatures. According to Cruz, legacy addresses that have not yet transacted are protected by additional layers. However, those that have exposed their public keys—necessary for transactions—may now be at risk “if sufficiently powerful quantum computers emerge.”
This transition would necessitate a hard fork, which may prove to be a significant hurdle for the community. A hard fork refers to a change in the blockchain that renders the older version incompatible.
One Reddit user noted, “I admire the effort, but this will still leave everyone who doesn’t migrate’s coins vulnerable, including Satoshi’s coins.” They further stated, “Bitcoin could implement post-quantum security for all coins, but that would need a hard fork, which due to Bitcoin’s history and the mantra repeated by maxis would create a new coin and would not be Bitcoin anymore.”
Read more: The Blocksize Wars Revisited: How Bitcoin’s Civil War Still Resonates Today
Preventive Measure
The proposed solution sets a migration deadline to lock those funds unless they are moved to a more secure wallet. Notably, this proposal is not a reaction to any imminent breakthrough in quantum computing but serves as a preventive measure. This comes shortly after Microsoft introduced Majorana 1, a quantum processing unit designed to scale to a million qubits per chip.
During the migration window, users can still move their funds freely. The BIP calls for wallet developers, block explorers, and “other infrastructure” to create tools and warnings to assist users in adhering to the changes.
Post-deadline, non-upgraded nodes could fork from the network if they continue to accept legacy transactions.
This is not the first initiative proposed to safeguard Bitcoin against quantum computing threats. Recently, BTQ, a startup working on blockchain technology resilient to quantum attacks, introduced an alternative to the Proof of Work (PoW) algorithm utilizing quantum technology.
In its research paper, BTQ proposed a method called Coarse-Grained Boson Sampling (CGBS), which utilizes light particles (bosons) to generate unique patterns—samples—reflective of the blockchain’s current state instead of hash-based mathematical puzzles.
However, similar to the QRAMP proposal, this suggestion would also require a hard fork, demanding miners and nodes to replace their existing ASIC-based hardware with quantum-ready infrastructure.
Read more: Quantum Startup BTQ Proposes More Energy Efficient Alternative to Crypto’s Proof of Work
