Adam Back Sees Significant Support for Phased Quantum Upgrade for Bitcoin Users
Blockstream founder Adam Back told Coinedition that he sees growing support for a phased quantum upgrade path for Bitcoin. His comments come as debate continues around how fast the network should move toward post-quantum security.
He said that the stronger the defensive value, the stronger the support for change. Even those who doubt near-term quantum threats now back a gradual transition. The reason is that long migration windows reduce risk and remove constant fear around quantum attacks.
Back emphasized that is the key factor. A phased rollout gives users time to move funds safely. This includes exchanges, custodians, and cold storage holders.
He also pointed out that a step-by-step upgrade makes it easier to phase out older signature systems like ECDSA and Schnorr. This avoids sudden disruption.
Coordination remains a real issue because large holders do not move quickly. A longer transition window increases the chances of full participation and reduces the risk of lost or unmigrated funds.
Back rejected claims that Bitcoin is unprepared for quantum risks. He said recent research misunderstood Bitcoin’s design.
According to him, Taproot and Schnorr were built in 2018-2019 with quantum transition in mind. Taproot’s tapleaf structure allows new post-quantum signature systems to be added without changing the base protocol.
He added that this design was later proven secure against quantum attacks. He also dismissed concerns around short-range versus long-range attacks, stating Schnorr already accounts for this.
As per Back, Bitcoin does not need a rushed overhaul because the base design already supports gradual upgrades.
Back warned against rushing new cryptographic systems. He pointed to the NIST post-quantum competition, where most candidate designs failed or were rejected.
The risk lies with poorly tested systems, which could expose to attacks, even from classical computers. A rushed rollout could lead to loss of funds.
Development on quantum resistance is already underway in smaller environments. Layer-two systems are being used for testing.
Blockstream Research has implemented post-quantum signatures like SHRINCS on the Liquid Network. This allows users to secure funds with hash-based signatures without changing Bitcoin’s base rules.
Liquid has previously tested features like SegWit and Schnorr before they reached Bitcoin. The same approach is now being used for quantum upgrades.
The rollout path begins with simple use cases like cold storage and moves later to complex wallets and smart contracts. Meanwhile, key management remains the hardest problem.
