Subject: [bitcoindev] Re: Proposal for Quantum-Resistant Address Migration Protocol (QRAMP) BIP

From: Michal Kolesár <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2025 05:40:17 -0800 (PST)

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well in advance and loudly enough about the outdated vaults.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 
<https://github.com/chucrut/bips/blob/master/bip-xxxxx.md>

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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