Bitcoin Core Developer Proposes “Quantum Landmine” Scheme: Quantum Thieves Lose Their Own BTC

According to TechFlow, on November 06, as reported by CoinDesk, Bitcoin Core developer and MIT Digital Currency Initiative member Cory Fields proposed the “quantum landmine” concept on Wednesday in the bitcoin-dev mailing list. The proposal requires potential quantum thieves to stake collateral first, while holders can seize the thief’s collateral by revealing proof of ownership hidden in advance.

A sufficiently powerful quantum computer could derive a wallet’s private key from its public key. Some early Bitcoin transactions exposed public keys from the outset, and Bitcoin associated with Satoshi Nakamoto could also become a target. There is still debate in the industry over whether to freeze vulnerable Bitcoin. Freezing can prevent theft, but it would also lock out holders who never upgraded their wallets.

Under Fields’ proposal, an attacker who steals 1 BTC would need to provide an additional 1 BTC as collateral from a quantum-safe wallet, and both amounts would be locked for a waiting period, such as 30 days. Before a quantum attack becomes a reality, the original holder can create a quantum-safe “landmine” containing hidden proof of ownership. If the thief later tries to move the vulnerable coins, both the stolen BTC and the thief’s collateral will be locked. The holder can disclose the proof during the waiting period to reclaim their BTC and take the thief’s collateral as a penalty. The thief cannot determine which addresses are trapped before committing funds.

Source: TechFlow