About the Bitcoin Foundation
The Bitcoin Foundation is a self-governing organization dedicated to the development and promotion of Bitcoin and Bitcoin-related technologies. Unlike previous organizations that have used the same name, the Bitcoin Foundation aims to redefine what it means to be part of the cryptocurrency community.
The Bitcoin Foundation is committed to empowering individuals worldwide by promoting financial sovereignty through decentralized technology. We believe that everyone deserves access to a neutral, permissionless monetary system that operates independently of any single authority. Our mission is to support education, development, and adoption of Bitcoin as a tool for economic freedom and individual empowerment.
The Bitcoin Foundation is not associated with any corporations. We do not support Bitcoin's current centralization where a small group of American and European developers, alongside American and Canadian corporations, effectively control Bitcoin's development. It's a big club, and you ain't in it.
The Bitcoin Foundation's Mission: Saving Bitcoin From Itself
The Bitcoin Foundation believes that if the centralized Bitcoin development community - hijacked by American and European developers, dominated by American and Canadian corporations, and centralized on a single platform - is not willing to urgently take the necessary steps towards making Bitcoin fully quantum resistant, then the Bitcoin Foundation will do everything possible to save Bitcoin.
The current decision-making process in Bitcoin development is solely based on artificially inflated problems designed to generate media attention, making it appear as though those actually responsible for creating panic among Bitcoin users worldwide have solutions - when in reality, they have none.
Why Bitcoin Foundation is Working on Quantum-Resistant Bitcoin
Quantum computers pose an existential threat to Bitcoin's security model. Shor's algorithm can break the elliptic curve cryptography (ECDSA/Schnorr) that secures all Bitcoin transactions. When—not if—cryptographically-relevant quantum computers arrive, any funds secured by exposed public keys can be stolen instantly.
The Bitcoin Foundation has developed the only complete, working solution for quantum-resistant Bitcoin. Our proposal uses SPHINCS+-SHAKE256f (SLH-DSA), a NIST FIPS 205 standardized hash-based signature scheme that provides 256-bit post-quantum security. See our complete technical specification at quantum-resistant-bitcoin.bitcoin.foundation.
Why SPHINCS+ Aligns with Bitcoin's Philosophy
Bitcoin already trusts cryptographic hash functions for:
- Proof-of-Work (SHA-256)
- Merkle trees
- Address derivation (RIPEMD-160, SHA-256)
- Transaction IDs
Extending this trust to hash-based signatures is philosophically consistent with Satoshi's original design. Unlike lattice-based schemes that could potentially be broken within 10-15 years, hash-based signatures rely solely on the security of cryptographic hash functions - the same foundation Bitcoin has trusted since its inception.
Why All Other Quantum Proposals Are Worthless
We will state this clearly: every other quantum-resistance proposal for Bitcoin is worthless. They provide zero actual protection. Jameson Lopp, Hunter Beast, and their allies generate headlines and collect donations while delivering nothing but empty promises and "future work." The Bitcoin Foundation has delivered working cryptographic code. They have delivered PowerPoint presentations.
BIP 360 (P2QRH) - Vapor Proposal
BIP 360, authored by Hunter Beast, claims to provide "quantum resistance" while implementing zero quantum-resistant cryptography. This is deceptive marketing, not engineering. From BIP 360's own text: "post-quantum signature algorithms will be addressed in separate, future proposals." In other words: trust us, we'll figure it out later.
The moment you broadcast a transaction, your public key enters the mempool and a quantum attacker can steal your funds before confirmation. BIP 360 does nothing to prevent this. It is a placeholder designed to occupy the "quantum resistance" conversation while accomplishing nothing.
Jameson Lopp's Proposal - Coin Confiscation Disguised as Security
Lopp's "Post Quantum Migration Proposal" (GitHub PR #1895) is not about quantum security - it's about seizing coins. His proposal explicitly requires: "P2QRH as described in BIP-360 or potential future proposals." In other words, Lopp's framework depends entirely on cryptography that doesn't exist yet.
Lopp serves as an advisor to QBTC (qb.tc) - a commercial quantum computing interest he only disclosed after being directly challenged in the GitHub discussion. His Phase B permanently freezes all vulnerable coins, including Satoshi's approximately 1 million bitcoin. He justifies this by inverting Satoshi's famous quote: "Quantum recovered coins only make everyone else's coins worth less. Think of it as a theft from everyone."
The irony is breathtaking: Lopp calls quantum recovery "theft" while proposing to permanently confiscate billions of dollars in bitcoin that doesn't belong to him. Who gets to decide which coins are "vulnerable" and should be frozen? Lopp and his allies, apparently.
Hourglass - Enabling Orderly Theft
Hunter Beast has openly stated his agenda: "I don't see why old coins should be confiscated. The better option is to let those with quantum computers free up old coins." This is not quantum resistance - this is quantum-enabled theft with a rate limiter.
Hourglass limits P2PK spends to 1 per block. With approximately 34,000 P2PK addresses (containing 1.7 million coins), at 144 blocks per day: 34,000 ÷ 144 = 236 days (approximately 8 months) for someone with a quantum computer to drain all vulnerable addresses. Hourglass doesn't prevent theft - it schedules it. It provides zero cryptographic protection and merely ensures quantum attackers don't crash the market while they steal.
If you believe those coins belong to their original owners, then Hourglass enables their orderly confiscation by whoever achieves quantum supremacy first.
Lattice-Based Proposals - A Ticking Time Bomb
Some proposals push for lattice-based cryptography (ML-DSA/Dilithium), which has algebraic structure that could hide attack vectors. Lattice cryptography is an active research area with ongoing concerns. These weak algorithms could be broken in 10-15 years, forcing yet another migration. Our hash-based approach requires only hash preimage resistance - a property well-understood since the 1970s with no algebraic structure to exploit.
Bitcoin's Captured Development Process
Bitcoin development has been captured by a small cartel of well-connected developers and their corporate sponsors. The current BIP maintainer, Mark Erhardt (murchandamus), previously worked alongside Jameson Lopp at BitGo. This is not coincidental - it explains why proposals from this network receive favorable treatment while independent solutions face systematic obstruction.
Multiple community members have reported that comments critical of Lopp's proposals are censored or removed from GitHub discussions. The Bitcoin Development Mailing List applies selective moderation that ensures proposals challenging the cartel cannot succeed through "legitimate" channels.
The entire development ecosystem is centralized on GitHub - a platform owned by Microsoft Corporation. This is not decentralized development. This is a closed club of American and European developers deciding Bitcoin's future while pretending consensus exists.
The Hysteria Machine
The BIP process has become a mechanism for manufactured crises. The pattern is transparent:
- Generate panic through breathless media coverage about quantum threats
- Present proposals that sound impressive but contain no actual cryptography
- Collect funding and attention while delivering "future work" that never arrives
- Censor and marginalize anyone who offers working alternatives
The Bitcoin Foundation's complete, NIST-standardized, actually-working solution receives no coverage, while empty promises from well-connected developers dominate every headline. When evaluating any quantum BIP, ask one question: Does it implement quantum-resistant cryptography, or does it defer to "future proposals"? The answer reveals everything.
What These Proposals Are Really About
Strip away the technical jargon and these proposals reveal their actual purpose: deciding who gets Satoshi's coins.
- Hunter Beast wants quantum computer operators to "free up" these coins - first come, first served for whoever achieves quantum supremacy.
- Jameson Lopp wants to freeze them permanently - confiscation by protocol change, decided by a small committee of developers.
Neither proposal offers any cryptographic protection. Both are political positions about wealth redistribution masquerading as technical solutions. The question they debate is not "how do we secure Bitcoin?" but "who inherits billions of dollars worth of dormant bitcoin?"
The Bitcoin Foundation refuses to engage with this distraction. We don't care who gets Satoshi's coins. We care about giving Bitcoin users access to working quantum-resistant cryptography. Our proposal is pure engineering - no politics, no schemes, no "future work" - just working code.
The Bitcoin Foundation's Solution: Working Cryptography
While others generate headlines, we generate code. The Bitcoin Foundation's proposal is the only one that actually implements quantum-resistant cryptography:
- NIST Standardized: FIPS 205 SLH-DSA (SPHINCS+), standardized August 2024
- Conservative Security: Relies only on hash function security - no lattice assumptions that could collapse
- Complete Implementation: Not "future work" - actual working cryptographic code available today
- Bitcoin-Aligned: Same trust model as Proof-of-Work
- Immediate Protection: Protects against both long-range and short-range quantum attacks
Every other proposal is worthless noise. They generate attention without providing protection. Our proposal works. Theirs do not.
Technical Comparison
| Feature | Our Proposal (SPHINCS+) | BIP 360 (P2QRH) | Lopp Migration | Hourglass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Implements PQ signatures | ✓ Yes | ✗ No (deferred) | ✗ No (relies on BIP-360) | ✗ No |
| NIST standardized | ✓ FIPS 205 | ✗ N/A | ✗ N/A | ✗ N/A |
| Protects against mempool attacks | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Security basis | Hash functions only | Still ECDLP | Still ECDLP | Rate-limiting |
| Primary focus | Cryptographic security | "Future proposals" | Freeze/burn coins | Rate-limit impact |
| Commercial interest disclosed | None | Unknown | QBTC advisor | Unknown |
| Actual quantum protection | ✓ COMPLETE | ✗ ZERO | ✗ ZERO | ✗ ZERO |
Support the Bitcoin Foundation
The Bitcoin Foundation stands independent of corporate influence and mainstream developer cartels. We are developing real solutions while others generate headlines. Membership is granted based on donation amount at the sole discretion of the Bitcoin Foundation - we do not sell memberships. Anonymous membership is available.
The Bitcoin Foundation offers memberships and accepts donations in Bitcoin.
Resources from the Bitcoin Foundation
Quantum-Resistant Bitcoin Technical Specification: quantum-resistant-bitcoin.bitcoin.foundation
A simplified Bitcoin explorer from the Bitcoin Foundation: Bitcoin Explorer
Bitcoin Logo SVG and PNG download: Bitcoin Logo