The first cypherpunk Adam Back, quoted by Satoshi Nakamoto in the White Bitcoin Paper, suggested that quantum computer pressure will probably reveal if the pseudonym creator of the blockchain is alive.
During an interview after a question and answer session during the “Satoshi Spriz” event in Turin on April 18, Back suggested that quantum computer science could force Nakamoto to move their Bitcoin (BTC). Indeed, depending on the back, Bitcoin holders will be forced to move their assets to addresses based on more recent and resistant signatures.
Back said current quantum computers do not represent a credible threat to Bitcoin cryptography, but will probably threaten it in the future. Back estimated that quantum computers could become dangerous in “perhaps twenty years”.
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When the threat becomes real, Back said that the Bitcoin community will have to choose between depreciation of old vulnerable addresses or let these funds be stolen:
“If quantum computers are there and people from universities and research laboratories have access, the network has the choice of letting people steal or freeze them – to depreciate the signature.”
Back expects the community to opt with the old option, forcing the pseudonym designer of Bitcoin to move their funds if they wish to avoid losing them.
Confidentiality upgrades could complicate proof
However, Back said that the question of whether such a situation would reveal if Satoshi Nakamoto is alive also depends on future Bitcoin confidentiality characteristics.
“It depends a bit on technology, there are research ideas that could add confidentiality to Bitcoin,” said Back. “Thus, there may be a way to solve quantum problems while keeping confidentiality.”
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However, not everyone is convinced that – improvements in confidentiality or not – such a scenario would reveal if Nakamoto is alive. An anonymous bitcoin minor and member of the Bitcoin community told Cintelegraph that he does not expect that he does not expect Nakamoto’s pieces to be moved:
“Even if he is alive and holds the private keys, I don’t think he moves them. Depending on the way he has acted so far, I prefer it to let the community decide. ”
He added that, as it is a controversial choice, it is logical to let the community decide. He said he would be surprised if Nakamoto had come out of the woodwork now to move the assets.
Quantum resistant bitcoin
Back explained that most of the amounts of quantities are not proven in terms of security or very expensive from the data point of view. He cited the signatures of lamport as an old and proven design, but stressed that they weigh tens of kilobytes.
Therefore, he suggested that Bitcoin should be ready to switch to quantum -resistant signatures, but only do it when necessary. It suggests an implementation based on a bitcoin tapot allowing addresses to switch to quantities resistant if necessary.
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