Bitcoin Developer Proposes Phased Quantum-Resistant Migration Plan

Foresight News reports that Bitcoin developer Jameson Lopp has proposed a phased quantum-resistant migration plan. The proposal outlines a step-by-step approach to transitioning Bitcoin to a quantum-resistant format. The first phase, starting three years after the implementation of BIP-360, would prohibit sending funds to traditional ECDSA/Schnorr addresses, encouraging users to adopt quantum-resistant address formats such as P2QRH. The second phase, two years after the first, would invalidate all legacy signatures at the consensus layer and freeze tokens in traditional addresses. An optional third phase would introduce a recovery mechanism for frozen coins using zero-knowledge proofs. Researchers have previously warned that quantum computers capable of breaking Bitcoin’s cryptography could emerge as early as 2027, posing a significant threat to cryptocurrency security.