According to Woofun AI, Social Capital founder Chamas Palihapitia once issued a stern warning that “Bitcoin returns to zero dollars.” The core logic is the potentially destructive impact of quantum computers on existing cryptographic systems.
This extreme risk assumption forced the Bitcoin developer community to act urgently to try to build a defensive barrier before quantum computing power matures. Currently, technical solutions on how to resist quantum attacks have entered the substantive discussion stage, but the complexity of implementing the technology far exceeds the code itself. It involves reshaping the network-wide consensus and safe migration of existing assets. If a systemic upgrade cannot be completed before the threat is materialized, Bitcoin's value base will face fundamental shaking; conversely, if an anti-quantum trust mechanism is successfully established, it may become a key variable in reshaping market valuations.
On the 26th, digital asset industry sources revealed that the defense system against quantum threats is being promoted through two core improvement proposals, namely BIP-360 and BIP-361. Both proposals are currently in the draft stage and have not yet been deployed on the main network, but their technical path clearly points to eliminating the risk of public key disclosure. To understand this urgency, we need to go back to Bitcoin's key mechanism: private keys are used to sign transactions, and public keys are generated from private keys and used to verify signatures. In the traditional computing environment, it is not mathematically feasible to derive the private key in reverse from the public key;
However, with its ability to solve specific mathematical problems, quantum computers are expected to break this balance and reverse private keys through exposed public keys. BIP-360 was co-authored by developers such as Hunter Bister, Ethan Hellman, and Isabelle Foxon-Duke to introduce a new type of transaction output method called “P2MR.” The core logic of this solution is to restructure the TapRoot mechanism and remove functional modules that cause public keys to stay on the blockchain for a long time, thereby compressing the analysis window that attackers can use.
Notably, BIP-360 alone cannot completely eliminate risk because the public key is still briefly exposed at the moment the transaction is executed. Therefore, the industry generally believes that it is also necessary to introduce new digital signature technology specially designed to resist quantum attacks in order to fill this security vacuum.
According to data compiled by Woofun AI, discussions on P2MR solutions in the community have increased significantly, reflecting the urgent need for developers to reduce the length of public key exposure.
Compared to the difficulty of technical implementation, the consensus dilemma and asset migration challenges faced by BIP-361 are more difficult. The plan was proposed by Jameson Rob and other developers, and the focus is on solving the problem of handling existing assets after the implementation of new security technology. Its core strategy includes limiting the retransmission of bitcoins to the original vulnerable address after the anti-quantum transaction method is established, and gradually phasing out traditional digital signature methods.
This process requires exchanges, custodian service providers, and personal wallet users to fully update their software to adapt to the new address format. However, large-scale asset migrations may trigger a surge in network transaction volume, which in turn tests network throughput. A deeper contradiction is that bitcoins that have been dormant for a long time — assets that cannot be moved due to loss of private keys or the death of their owners. If unable to migrate to quantum-resistant addresses, they will become clear targets of quantum attacks; however, if their use is forcibly restricted, they may also cause legal and ethical disputes over the definition of ownership.
Furthermore, the decentralized nature of Bitcoin means that any protocol change must be accepted by miners, node operators, and various participants. This distributed decision-making mechanism makes reaching consensus extremely expensive and lengthy.
Market sentiment is seeing security upgrades as a key variable affecting prices. Charles Edwards, founder of Capriol Investments, predicted in an interview with “Bitcoin Magazine” that if developers can agree on a specific roadmap for anti-quantum digital signature technology within the next 12 to 18 months, the price of Bitcoin may rise 30% to 50% within a single day.
This judgment is based on logical deduction: once the uncertainty brought about by quantum threats is eliminated, the risk premium that previously suppressed valuation will be quickly released, and investors' psychological expectations will improve accordingly. Although the current technical solution is not mature and has not entered the actual application stage, a clear transformation plan itself can boost confidence. The key variable in the future is whether the community can complete verification of new security technology and promote the transformation of the entire network before quantum computers have actual attack capabilities. This is not only a technical competition, but also the ultimate test of whether Bitcoin can continue its value storage properties in the quantum age.