Post
Topic
Board Development & Technical Discussion
Re: Bitcoin must upgrade or fall victim to quantum computing in 5 years
by
DiscoJoker
on 13/07/2025, 17:10:03 UTC
please be aware of this report summary from Bitcoin Optech, with link to the original source:

https://bitcoinops.org/en/newsletters/2025/06/06/#quantum-computing-report

for a discussion of the state of quantum technology, potential risks for Bitcoin, and, most important, some practical recommendations.

I think the most important piece is to immediately begin a discussion about how a general consensus should be reached on how to implement a quantum-fix when it becomes necessary.
It wouldn't help if there are technical proposals available, but a prolonged civil war about how to implement would delay them, possibly beyond a real quantum attack.
Remember the blocksize and segwit discussions? QT could make a lot of progress in the amount of time it took to resolve these issues...

Recommendation of the authors is:
within 2 years, develop a technically sound short-term fix, and reach agreement within the whole ecosystem on how to implement it quickly in case QT progress makes it necessary.
within 7 years, have a quantum-resistant Bitcoin fully developed and deployed (they expect a possible quantum threat between 2030 and 2035)

While one can debate the author's timeline assessments, I think it makes a lot of sense to at least begin to prepare the way to implementation right now.


Thanks for the link, it’s definitely a good read and brings up some important points. But it actually reinforces what I pointed out: we’re still in the realm of recommendations, calls for discussion, and hope for a future consensus. In other words, no concrete official plan has been adopted so far.

Many still act as if the future will never arrive, relying on public estimates of 5 to 10 years before quantum becomes a real threat. But that’s just what we’re allowed to see. The truth is, companies and government agencies have been developing quantum computing behind closed doors for decades. What gets published is just the tip of the iceberg.

Assuming we still have all that time might be a dangerous illusion.