Bitcoin Community Debates BIP-360 Quantum-Resistant Upgrade Amid Growing Concerns
Bitcoin developers are divided over the urgency of implementing quantum-resistant security measures as Taproot adoption declines sharply.
The Bitcoin community is engaged in heated debate over proposal BIP-360, a quantum-resistant upgrade, as concerns mount about the cryptocurrency's vulnerability to future quantum computing attacks.
Taproot, Bitcoin's latest transaction format considered quantum vulnerable, has seen adoption plummet from 42% of transactions in 2024 to just 20% currently, suggesting growing user anxiety about quantum threats[1]. Bitcoin analyst Willy Woo noted he has "never seen the latest format losing adoption before."
However, industry leaders remain divided on the urgency. Adam Back, Blockstream CEO and Hashcash inventor, dismissed what he called "quantum FUD," stating that Bitcoin "does not use encryption" and that quantum threats remain "decades away"[1].
Some analysts predict more immediate risks. One estimate suggests "20-30% of Bitcoin will be taken by a quantum hacker in the next few years," with proposals to "burn all coins that do not migrate to BIP-360 by 2028"[1].
Implementing any quantum-resistant standard would require broad consensus among hardware wallet providers, node operators, and cryptocurrency exchanges, presenting significant coordination challenges for the decentralized network.
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