Bitcoin proposal would make quantum theft attempts post collateral

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Bitcoin quantum theft proposal

Highlights

Cory Fields proposes a 'quantum landmines' mechanism requiring attackers to lock up collateral equal to coins targeted by quantum-theft attempts, with a waiting period such as 30 days.
Quantum landmines would allow victims to reclaim stolen bitcoin and seize attackers' collateral if proof of ownership is provided during the lock-up period after a theft attempt.
The proposal increases operational costs for users, as moving 1 BTC would require providing 1 BTC collateral, and does not address lost coins or those belonging to inactive owners such as Satoshi Nakamoto.

Collateral mechanism for vulnerable wallets

According to CoinDesk, as first outlined on the bitcoin-dev mailing list, MIT Digital Currency Initiative developer Cory Fields describes a "quantum landmines" concept that would force a would-be thief to risk their own bitcoin before trying to move coins exposed to quantum attacks. The proposal is presented as a thought experiment rather than a finished rule set, and it assumes Bitcoin first adopts quantum-safe wallets.

The idea addresses a scenario in which a sufficiently powerful quantum computer can derive a wallet’s secret spending key from its public key. That risk is especially relevant for some early bitcoin transactions that exposed public keys from the outset, including coins associated with Satoshi Nakamoto among the potential targets.

Under Fields’ example, an attacker seeking to steal 1 BTC would also have to provide 1 BTC from a quantum-safe wallet. Both the targeted coin and the attacker’s collateral would then be locked for a waiting period, such as 30 days.

Before such attacks become feasible, the legitimate owner could prepare a separate quantum-safe landmine containing hidden proof of ownership. If a thief later attempts to drain the vulnerable coins, the owner could reveal that proof during the lock-up period, reclaim the bitcoin and take the attacker’s collateral as a financial penalty.

Costs and limits for Bitcoin holders

The proposal does not solve every quantum risk in the network. Fields notes that landmines only help owners who still control their keys, which excludes coins believed to be lost, including bitcoin widely thought to belong to Satoshi Nakamoto.

To address inactive holdings, Fields sketches a possible auction system aimed at protecting those coins from future quantum thieves. Even so, the approach could impose additional costs on legitimate users because the blockchain cannot distinguish between a genuine owner and a quantum attacker.

In practice, a holder moving their own 1 BTC under such rules would also need to post another 1 BTC as collateral. That trade-off highlights the operational burden any quantum-defense framework could place on ordinary users, even if it strengthens deterrence against theft.

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