This Bitcoin Developer’s Idea Would Make Quantum Attacks a Losing Bet
Summary
Bitcoin developer Cory Fields has proposed “quantum landmines” and two auction mechanisms as thought experiments to make future quantum attacks on vulnerable Bitcoin wallets costly. Landmines would require a suspected thief to post collateral that an owner could claim by revealing a pre-Q-Day ownership proof. Staked and sats auctions would let challengers impose losses or reduce the gains from attempted theft. The ideas involve significant risks, including collateral burdens for legitimate owners and possible loss of coins belonging to offline holders. They would require quantum-safe Bitcoin spending and major consensus changes. No protections exist today, and Fields has provided neither an implementation nor an activation plan.
