A group including Jameson Lopp has proposed freezing quantum-vulnerable Bitcoin addresses to protect the network from future threats. Their draft, BIP-361, outlines a three-step process to migrate users to safer wallets, starting with preventing sends to old addresses. The proposal cites industry projections that quantum machines could threaten Bitcoin’s cryptography as early as 2027, with an estimated 34% of the BTC supply currently exposed to this vulnerability.
A group including Jameson Lopp has proposed a plan to protect Bitcoin from potential future quantum computing attacks. Their draft, outlined on GitHub, builds upon prior work and is known as BIP-361.
The proposal introduces a three-step migration process away from vulnerable wallet types. The first phase would prevent users from sending Bitcoin to older, quantum-vulnerable addresses to encourage upgrades.
A stricter cut-off would follow two years later, preventing any sends from wallets using old signature styles. Funds in non-upgraded wallets would become stuck and unusable at this stage.
Developers are discussing a possible third phase for fund recovery if deadlines are missed. This step is not yet confirmed and requires further community consensus.
Industry projections indicate quantum machines could pose a real danger to Bitcoin’s cryptography between 2027 and 2030. Roughly 34% of Bitcoin’s supply is already estimated to be exposed.
The proposal states that such an attack may not be immediately obvious, making early detection difficult. Developers argue waiting for an imminent threat would be too risky for the network.
A network-wide upgrade would increase resilience against future attacks and reduce long-term security uncertainty. A clear timeline would also help wallets, exchanges, and institutions prepare in advance.
Some institutions are already taking proactive security steps. Blockstream Research recently announced deploying the first transactions on a live Bitcoin sidechain protected by post-quantum cryptography.
