Developers of a novel wallet solution assert they’ve devised a method to mitigate quantum computing threats using a smart contract layer integrated with Bitcoin, without necessitating any alterations to the network itself. Postquant Labs announced Tuesday the release of Quip Network’s post-quantum bitcoin wallet on Arch Network, as communicated via email to CoinDesk. This product utilizes an infrastructure enabling developers to implement smart contracts directly linked to Bitcoin, bypassing separate chains or wrapped tokens.
Quip incorporates a post-quantum signature method known as WOTS+ (Winternitz One-Time Signature), which operates over Bitcoin’s existing security framework. Unlike elliptic curve cryptography susceptible to quantum decryption, WOTS+ is a proven cryptographic method immune to such threats.
By leveraging a “Layer 2” network—a secondary system built atop Bitcoin for transaction processing that reconciles with the main chain—developers can introduce new functionalities without modifying Bitcoin’s fundamental layer.
“Despite Satoshi Nakamoto himself highlighting quantum concerns, the Bitcoin community has postponed addressing this issue,” stated Postquant Labs CEO Colton Dillon in a CoinDesk interview. “While protocol enhancements could span 5 to 10 years, Quip offers immediate protection against such risks.”
This release coincides with ongoing debates on how best to address quantum vulnerabilities within Bitcoin.
Jameson Lopp and other developers recently proposed BIP-361, suggesting the gradual removal of quantum-vulnerable addresses over five years and freezing unconverted coins, including those linked to Satoshi Nakamoto’s approximately 1.1 million bitcoins. Meanwhile, Paul Sztorc’s eCash hard fork proposal aims to duplicate Bitcoin’s chain, creating seven sidechains, one resistant to quantum attacks, funded partially by reallocating Satoshi-patterned coins on the new ledger.
Both proposals have encountered community resistance.
Quip argues that neither drastic measure is necessary. Its deployment requires no soft fork, consensus alteration, or community vote—a significant advantage since Bitcoin’s last major soft fork, Taproot in 2021, was a complex undertaking requiring widespread support from miners and nodes. The forthcoming one could take years to materialize.
The three proposals diverge on specific points. Lopp contends that Layer 2 solutions like Quip are inadequate because mainnet public keys become vulnerable upon transaction broadcast, offering quantum attackers potential targets.
However, there are limitations: the wallet app is set for release next week, and a third-party audit remains incomplete. Although Quip’s quantum-resistant accounts exist on Ethereum and Solana, their Bitcoin version is novel, and Arch Network remains in its nascent stage.
Postquant Labs’ CTO Dr. Richard Carback, a collaborator with eCash pioneer Dr. David Chaum, now advises the project. He claims this strategy reduces the potential quantum attack window to as brief as two blocks or about 20 minutes.
Sztorc believes that piecemeal solutions underscore the necessity for a pristine fork incorporating quantum resistance from inception. The Layer 2 approach, including Quip and Blockstream’s hash-based signature efforts on Liquid Network, posits that the perceived threat can be addressed without altering Bitcoin itself.
The resolution of this debate hinges partly on how swiftly quantum computing advances materialize. Historically, those most concerned about quantum risks in Bitcoin are typically resistant to wrapped or smart-contract-linked products.