Nic Carter: Bitcoin Must Begin Post-Quantum Migration Immediately

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Bitcoin breaking news: Nic Carter of Castle Island Ventures says Bitcoin must begin its post-quantum migration immediately. He argues that quantum canary systems will not provide sufficient warning time. Classical computers are already solving ECDLP problems at around 130 bits, and Carter warns that once quantum technology surpasses this threshold, Bitcoin’s 256-bit elliptic curve could be compromised within months. He states that relying on canaries or legacy addresses will not be sufficient. A full migration could take years. BitMEX Research previously proposed a quantum freeze canary. Bitcoin news reflects growing urgency regarding quantum threats.

火星财经消息,Castle Island Ventures partner Nic Carter posted a lengthy article on X, stating that the quantum computing "canary warning" mechanism cannot provide sufficient buffer time for BTC. Classical computers are currently capable of solving the elliptic curve discrete logarithm problem (ECDLP) for key sizes of approximately 117 to 130 bits; results from quantum computers below this threshold are often met with skepticism due to potential "classical cheating" or precomputed answers, rendering them ineffective as reliable signals. Nic Carter argues that once quantum computers truly surpass this classical limit, they may be only months away from directly attacking Bitcoin’s 256-bit secp256k1 curve, while migrating Bitcoin to post-quantum signatures could take years. Neither setting up a quantum-break bounty address nor relying on Satoshi’s early dormant addresses as on-chain warnings can guarantee timely detection of risk. Therefore, the only viable approach is not to wait for a clear warning, but to immediately begin preparations for post-quantum (PQ) migration. Previously, BitMEX Research proposed a quantum freeze alternative: a "canary address" trigger mechanism.

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