Bitcoin Advances Toward Quantum Resistance With BIP 360

"BIP 360, a proposal aimed at preparing Bitcoin for future computing threats, has been updated and merged into the official Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP) GitHub repository, marking a new step in efforts to strengthen the network against emerging cryptographic and quantum computing risks. The proposal introduces a new Bitcoin output type called Pay-to-Merkle-Root (P2MR), designed to support quantum-resistant script tree functionality while maintaining compatibility with existing Tapscript infrastructure, according to a note seen by Bitcoin Magazine."

"Quantum computing has raised concerns across the cryptography and cybersecurity fields because sufficiently advanced machines may be able to break widely used cryptographic systems. In Bitcoin's case, the threat centers on the possibility that computers could derive private keys from exposed public keys, which could lead to stolen funds. While all Bitcoin addresses become vulnerable when spending reveals a public key, some output types carry greater exposure."

"Taproot addresses, along with Pay-to-Public-Key (P2PK) outputs and reused addresses, are considered more at risk because public keys are visible on-chain. P2MR is conceptually similar to Taproot but removes a key weakness. Taproot includes a key-path spending method that can expose public keys. The proposed P2MR output type disables that key-path spend and commits only to the script path, reducing the surface area for potential attacks."

BIP 360 has been updated and merged into the official BIP GitHub repository as part of the open documentation process. The proposal defines a new output type, Pay-to-Merkle-Root (P2MR), that supports a quantum-resistant script tree while remaining compatible with existing Tapscript infrastructure. P2MR disables Taproot-style key-path spending and commits only to script paths, reducing exposure of public keys on-chain. The design aims to lower the risk of private-key derivation from visible public keys and to serve as a foundation for potential future soft forks that could introduce post-quantum signature schemes.

Read at Bitcoin Magazine