The issue of quantum computing has always been intertwined with the enigma of Satoshi Nakamoto. Millions of bitcoins, including those attributed to the pseudonymous creator, worth around $84 billion, are at risk of theft due to exposed public keys. A potential solution involves a soft fork that would eventually disallow transactions from legacy addresses, forcing holders to move to quantum-resistant formats.
However, this approach poses a dilemma for dormant holders like Satoshi, who would need to publicly reclaim their assets or risk losing them. Dan Robinson from Paradigm has introduced an alternative solution, Provable Address-Control Timestamps (PACTs), which enables holders to timestamp proof of ownership without revealing any information publicly. This method involves generating a random salt and using BIP-322 to create a proof of ownership, which is then timestamped and stored privately.
If a soft fork freezes quantum-vulnerable coins, the protocol could include a rescue path that accepts a STARK proof, allowing holders to spend their coins without revealing any sensitive information. While PACTs address a specific gap in BIP-361 and provide a potential solution for wallets derived through BIP-32, they require the adoption of a STARK verification protocol, which would need a separate soft fork and broad community consensus. Ultimately, the success of PACTs depends on the willingness of holders, including Satoshi, to create a commitment, and the implementation of the necessary verification infrastructure.