Key Takeaways:
BIP-361 aims to protect bitcoin from quantum computers, which McKinsey warns may emerge between 2027 and 2030. Frederic Fosco warns that freezing 35% of the supply would kill bitcoin’s monetary premium and gold status. Developers now weigh opt-in BIP-360 tools to offer 100% user sovereignty instead of mandatory coin sunsets. The Scarcity MythFosco suggests that the solution already exists in the form of opt-in technology. Protocols like BIP-360 and post-quantum signature schemes like ML-DSA offer a path forward that preserves user choice.
In this view, the role of developers is to provide the armor, not to force the soldiers to wear it. If a holder chooses to remain in a legacy address despite the availability of quantum-resistant alternatives, they are exercising their right to take a personal risk—a cornerstone of the “sovereign individual” philosophy.
The fear is that once the line is crossed for quantum security, the precedent for coin freezing becomes an open door for traditional forms of financial censorship. If the protocol can be altered to freeze “at-risk” coins, it can be altered to freeze “sanctioned” or “politically incorrect” coins.
A Binary Choice
