Bitcoin’s post-quantum migration will be harder than Taproot and needs to start now, Project Eleven CEO says

Alex Pruden said the asymmetry between acting on a post-quantum signature scheme today and waiting for certainty about quantum-computing hardware timelines means Bitcoin developers should move from research into production. What to know : Project Eleven CEO Alex Pruden told CoinDesk’s Consensus Miami conference Wednesday that Bitcoin’s developer community should move from research into production on a post-quantum signature option rather than waiting for certainty about quantum-computer timelines. He said the migration will be substantially harder than Taproot, which took roughly five years and remained opt-in, because every bitcoin user, wallet and exchange will need to participate in a post-quantum migration to stay secure. Asked for his personal view, Pruden said recycling dormant quantum-vulnerable coins back into Bitcoin’s supply curve would put him “overall” on the confiscation side, though he stressed the community and market would ultimately decide.