Paradigm Researcher Proposes Quantum-Resistant Backup Plan for Bitcoin

• Paradigm researcher Dan Robinson proposed PACTs, letting Bitcoin holders timestamp key ownership silently with no on-chain cost.
  
• Satoshi Nakamoto’s 1.1 million BTC, worth over $75 billion, sits in wallets that existing quantum rescue plans cannot cover.
  
• A STARK proof tied to a pre-cutoff timestamp would let holders reclaim sunsetted funds without revealing private key details.

A Paradigm researcher has proposed a quantum-resistant backup plan for Bitcoin that lets holders protect their funds silently and without any on-chain action. 

Dan Robinson published the concept on May 1, 2026, introducing Provable Address-Control Timestamps, or PACTs. 

The protocol targets addresses with exposed public keys, which remain vulnerable to theft by cryptographically relevant quantum computers. Robinson argues that holders can act today, before any protocol upgrade is required.

Robinson’s Case for a Silent Self-Protective Measure

Robinson built his proposal around a straightforward concern: Bitcoin holders with exposed public keys have no quiet way to protect themselves today. 

A quantum computer powerful enough to derive private keys could steal hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Bitcoin. 

Addresses tied to Satoshi Nakamoto alone hold roughly 1.1 million BTC, worth over $75 billion at current prices. Those wallets predate BIP-32, leaving them outside the scope of existing rescue proposals.

The PACT protocol addresses this by letting holders timestamp a cryptographic proof of key ownership using OpenTimestamps. 

The service is free, open-source, and batches many commitments into a single Bitcoin transaction. 

No transaction is required from the holder, and nothing about their address or identity is revealed. The commitment exposes only an opaque hash, making the process entirely silent.

To create a PACT, a holder generates a 256-bit secret salt and produces a BIP-322 full message proof of control over their vulnerable address. 

That proof and salt are then hashed into a commitment, which gets timestamped on the Bitcoin blockchain via OpenTimestamps. 

The holder stores the salt, proof, and timestamp file securely as a recovery artifact. At no point is any of this information shared publicly or broadcast to the network.

Robinson also noted that agreeing on a standardized format for PACTs is the most urgent step. Once a standard exists, holders can begin timestamping immediately without waiting for any Bitcoin fork. 

This gives the community more time before a quantum emergency forces rushed decisions. The proposal does not require Bitcoin to commit today to any specific course of action.

How the Rescue Path Would Work Under a Future Fork

If Bitcoin ever adopts a sunset on quantum-vulnerable addresses, Robinson’s proposal outlines a corresponding rescue mechanism. 

A holder would submit a post-quantum STARK proof showing they knew their private key before cryptographically relevant quantum computers could have derived it. 

The proof would be bound to a specific rescue transaction, preventing copying or redirection. The salt and BIP-322 proof would remain hidden throughout the entire process.

The rescue path requires the PACT commitment to predate a defined cutoff date. That cutoff would be set before CRQCs are believed capable of breaking existing key cryptography. 

An attacker who later obtains a private key through quantum means could not fabricate a timestamp that predates that cutoff. This structure separates legitimate ownership from quantum-derived access in a verifiable way.

Robinson acknowledged that no guarantee exists that Bitcoin will ever adopt this rescue protocol.

Multisig wallets, complex scripts, and hardware wallet support would each require further standardization before PACTs apply universally. Holders should therefore treat PACTs as a precautionary step rather than a guaranteed protection. 

The low cost of committing, however, makes early action a reasonable choice for long-term holders.

The broader debate about quantum preparedness in Bitcoin remains unsettled. Robinson’s proposal does not resolve whether a sunset is necessary or desirable. 

Instead, it gives the community an additional tool to work with if that decision eventually arrives. For dormant holders facing privacy risks either way, that additional option may matter considerably.

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