TL;DR
Get the latest gadgets delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Coinbase is urging Bitcoin developers and users to start technical work on protections against future quantum-computing threats. The exchange says migration could take years, but its blog post is a contribution to an open discussion, not an agreed upgrade or deadline.
Coinbase is urging the Bitcoin community to begin preparing for post-quantum security before a quantum computer capable of breaking existing cryptography is available. In a technical priorities post reported by The Quantum Insider on October 13, the exchange said changing Bitcoin’s rules and moving funds could take years, while emphasizing that its recommendations are not an agreed network upgrade or migration deadline.
Coinbase said the work involves more than choosing a replacement digital-signature system. Any design would need to protect funds with exposed public keys, support future changes to cryptographic algorithms and fit Bitcoin’s limits on transaction space and verification resources. The exchange called for Bitcoin-specific, reproducible evaluations that measure signature size, transaction fees, verification work and the time needed to move vulnerable funds.
The post identifies several candidates for evaluation, including ML-DSA, SLH-DSA and FN-DSA when standardized, as well as the hash-based candidate SHRINCS. Coinbase also points to proposed Bitcoin spending formats known as P2MR, associated with Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 360, and P2TRv2. These are options for technical investigation, not solutions the company says Bitcoin has adopted.
Coinbase said it is preparing its own systems, talking with Bitcoin developers and researchers, and supporting open-source work through engineering resources and participation in the Bitcoin Security Consortium. It said it holds about 5% of all bitcoin in existence, giving it a substantial interest in how the network handles a possible migration.
Migration Could Take Years
The immediate issue is preparation time, not a claim that Bitcoin’s current cryptography has already been broken. Bitcoin’s signature rules are part of the network’s shared software, and users, wallet providers, exchanges and custodians would all need to handle any change. Coinbase argues that waiting until a capable quantum computer is announced could leave too little time to assess designs and move funds.
The choices could affect transaction fees, network capacity and wallet usability, as well as the security of institutional custody systems. A signature scheme that looks suitable in a general cryptography test may impose different costs when transactions are stored permanently and checked by Bitcoin nodes. The company’s call is therefore for comparative testing under Bitcoin’s operating conditions, not simply selection of a new algorithm.
Coinbase also says technical work should proceed while the community debates coins whose owners may be unable or unwilling to move them. How to treat abandoned or inaccessible funds could become a contested policy question. Keeping that debate separate from early engineering work, the company argues, could prevent it from holding up development of protective options.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Bitcoin’s Security Migration Challenge
Bitcoin transactions rely on digital signatures to show that a spender controls the relevant private key. Public keys are used to verify those signatures; Coinbase’s post warns that funds could face risk if a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could derive private-key information from exposed public keys. The source material does not say such a machine currently exists or can break Bitcoin’s cryptography.
Post-quantum signature systems are designed to resist attacks from quantum computers, but their practical properties differ. Coinbase highlights a particular operational concern with stateful signature schemes: signers must keep accurate records of which signing steps have already been used. Lost or outdated records could create security problems, and the company says blockchain history may not reveal every signing attempt or update. For an exchange, coordinating those records across servers in multiple locations could add complexity.
The post is framed as input to an open discussion. Coinbase says it is engaging with developers and researchers, but does not present a settled design, community agreement or migration schedule.
“Some questions, including how to handle abandoned or inaccessible coins, are difficult and deserve thoughtful debate. In our view, that discussion can continue alongside the technical work to add post-quantum signature support to Bitcoin.”
— Coinbase, in its technical priorities post
No Upgrade or Deadline Agreed
No quantum threat timetable is established in the source material, and it remains unclear when a machine capable of compromising relevant cryptography might exist. Coinbase’s post does not set a date for Bitcoin to change its rules, identify a preferred signature system or announce a migration plan approved by developers or network participants.
The proposed candidates still require evaluation, and some are described as awaiting standardization. Their comparative performance, implementation demands and suitability for Bitcoin are not settled here. It is also unresolved how wallets and custodians would manage any eventual transition, how funds that cannot be moved would be handled, and whether the community would agree on a policy for them.
Testing and Community Discussion
Coinbase is calling for reproducible testing of candidate signature systems against Bitcoin-specific requirements, including transaction size, fees, verification workload and migration logistics. It says it is preparing its own systems and engaging with Bitcoin developers and researchers. The source does not provide dates for test results or identify a formal decision-making milestone.
The next developments will depend on technical evaluation and discussion among Bitcoin’s developers, users, businesses and custodians. Any network change would require broader work beyond Coinbase’s proposal; the timing and design remain open.
Key Questions
What is Coinbase asking Bitcoin to do?
Coinbase is urging early evaluation and planning for quantum-resistant signatures, alongside discussion of how funds could migrate if Bitcoin changes its security rules.
Has Bitcoin agreed to a post-quantum upgrade?
No. Coinbase describes its post as an input to an open discussion. It does not announce an agreed upgrade, chosen signature system or migration deadline.
Is a quantum computer currently able to break Bitcoin’s cryptography?
The source material does not say that such a computer exists. Coinbase is urging preparation for a possible future capability, without giving a timetable for when it might emerge.
Why could changing Bitcoin take years?
A change would involve Bitcoin’s shared rules and require wallets, exchanges, custodians and users to support new protections and potentially move funds. Coinbase describes that work as a complex, multiyear undertaking.
What happens to abandoned or inaccessible bitcoin?
That remains unresolved. Coinbase says the issue deserves debate, but argues that it can be discussed while technical work continues.
Source: rss
Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day Picks
long weekend sales
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
