Dear Agustin,

enforcement in general doesn’t seem like a good choice to me. If I were to compare it to the real world, it’s as if people had money or jewelry in bank vaults that were unbreakable at the time they were stored. After a certain period, it’s discovered that these vaults could be breached, and we’d tell everyone they have to buy new vaults and move their diamonds, gold, and banknotes into them. If they don’t do it, everything in their old vaults would be confiscated and destroyed. Surely, it’s normal that people would naturally buy new vaults (or move to safer ones) if they’re informed well in advance and loudly enough about the outdated vaults. And if they decide not to replace them, someone will eventually break in sooner or later and become the new owner of their "wealth." That’s how it works in the real world, after all. Yes, perhaps if someone steals a large amount of Bitcoin en masse, it might temporarily lower its value. But that’s fine—it would just redistribute old, lost, or unused Bitcoins into new ownership, where someone would start using them. It’s like finding a lost treasure from the past at the bottom of the ocean.

Best regards,

Michal

On Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at 1:10:17 AM UTC+1 Agustin Cruz wrote:

Dear Bitcoin Developers,

I am writing to share my proposal for a new Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) titled Quantum-Resistant Address Migration Protocol (QRAMP). The goal of this proposal is to safeguard Bitcoin against potential future quantum attacks by enforcing a mandatory migration period for funds held in legacy Bitcoin addresses (secured by ECDSA) to quantum-resistant addresses.

The proposal outlines:

• Reducing Vulnerabilities: Transitioning funds to quantum-resistant schemes preemptively to eliminate the risk posed by quantum attacks on exposed public keys.
• Enforcing Timelines: A hard migration deadline that forces timely action, rather than relying on a gradual, voluntary migration that might leave many users at risk.
• Balancing Risks: Weighing the non-trivial risk of funds being permanently locked against the potential catastrophic impact of a quantum attack on Bitcoin’s security.

Additionally, the proposal addresses common criticisms such as the risk of permanent fund loss, uncertain quantum timelines, and the potential for chain splits. It also details backwards compatibility measures, comprehensive security considerations, an extensive suite of test cases, and a reference implementation plan that includes script interpreter changes, wallet software updates, and network monitoring tools.

For your convenience, I have published the full proposal on my GitHub repository. You can review it at the following link:

Quantum-Resistant Address Migration Protocol (QRAMP) Proposal on GitHub

I welcome your feedback and suggestions and look forward to engaging in a constructive discussion on how best to enhance the security and resilience of the Bitcoin network in the quantum computing era.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Best regards,

Agustin Cruz

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