Bitcoin devs merge new plan to limit “quantum” exposure risk but there’s a fee and privacy tradeoff
Bitcoin developers have merged a proposal (BIP-0360) for Pay-to-Merkle-Root (P2MR) to mitigate potential quantum computing threats, but it involves increased fees and reduced privacy.Summary
Bitcoin developers have formally documented a new output type, Pay-to-Merkle-Root (P2MR), designed to reduce long-term exposure to potential attacks from future quantum computers. While not an immediate upgrade, this proposal (BIP-0360) addresses a critical, long-term risk by removing the public key attack surface that exists with current Taproot outputs. P2MR achieves this by requiring all spends to reveal a script, eliminating the key-path option. However, this comes with tradeoffs: P2MR transactions are larger and more expensive than standard Taproot transactions, and they offer less privacy. The proposal highlights the challenges of upgrading Bitcoin, requiring years of preparation and coordination even for low-probability risks. Activation is not guaranteed and would require broad consensus and a soft fork, with adoption being opt-in for users who prioritize long-term security over cost and privacy. The move signals a proactive approach to quantum preparedness within the Bitcoin community and a shift towards more concrete discussions about quantum risk.
(Source：CryptoSlate)