There's a New Way to Protect Bitcoin From Future Quantum Attacks, Researchers Say
Summary
AmericanFortress proposed a post-quantum wallet scheme for Bitcoin and other blockchains that would preserve existing wallet addresses while replacing elliptic-curve signatures with zero-knowledge proofs. The system, called ZKPoSP, lets users prove ownership of a wallet’s seed phrase without revealing it, aiming to protect hierarchical deterministic wallets against a future “Q-Day” quantum computer using Shor’s algorithm. The paper also introduces QBIP32, a derivation method meant to remain compatible with current wallet standards. A Rust prototype on RISC Zero showed proof generation around 12–13 seconds and verification around 9–10 milliseconds. The approach is not yet adopted and would require broad ecosystem support.
