Bitcoin (BTC) could dodge a blanket freeze of quantum-vulnerable coins under a new proposal from BitMEX Research that waits for proof before locking anything down.
BitMEX Canary Plan
BitMEX Research has outlined a "canary" system as an alternative to blanket quantum-safe recovery schemes now circulating among Bitcoin developers.
The proposal would avoid an automatic, time-based freeze of coins held at quantum-vulnerable addresses. Instead, the network would enter a canary watch state.
A freeze would kick in only once on-chain evidence shows a quantum computer actually exists.
That evidence would come from a special Bitcoin address generated through a Nothing-Up-My-Sleeve Number system, meaning no one holds the private key. Any spend from that address would be treated as proof of a working quantum attacker.
The plan also introduces a canary fund. Users would voluntarily deposit Bitcoin into the address as a bounty, with multisignature setups allowing them to withdraw later if they change their mind.
BitMEX Research said the bounty might not be large enough to tempt the first quantum-capable actor, which could still target other holdings. A regulated firm, it added, may prefer to claim the bounty openly.
Also Read: Anchorage Digital Proposes Zero-Knowledge Fix For Bitcoin's Quantum Threat
Rival Quantum Fixes
The canary idea lands in a crowded debate. BIP-361, recently merged into the Bitcoin repository, would first restrict sends to quantum-vulnerable addresses for three years, then freeze those coins two years later.
Critics argue the protocol should not seize user funds, calling such freezes a breach of Bitcoin's censorship-resistance principles.
Others question whether cryptography-breaking quantum machines are close enough to justify the step.
Anchorage Digital has floated a different route, proposing a zero-knowledge turnstile that could migrate roughly 13.5 million Bitcoin to post-quantum security without freezing holders out. At FalconX, Joshua Lim has argued Bitcoin derivatives would flash the earliest warning signs of a quantum attack, with about 1.7 million BTC exposed.
Quantum risk has moved from fringe concern to active research agenda over the past year, with Google, IBM and startups reporting steady gains in qubit stability and error correction.
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