'It Can Take Years': Coinbase Presses for Bitcoin Quantum Migration to Start Now

What happened

The concern centers on how Bitcoin secures wallets. In a detailed technical post, the exchange argued Bitcoin’s multi-year migration to quantum-resistant cryptography must begin before any “Q-Day,” laying out requirements spanning block space, custody and dormant coins.

Decrypt News Technology 'It Can Take Years': Coinbase Presses for Bitcoin Quantum Migration to Start Now In a detailed technical post, the exchange argued Bitcoin’s multi-year migration to quantum-resistant cryptography must begin before any “Q-Day,” laying out requirements spanning block space, custody and dormant coins. In brief Coinbase, which says it custodies roughly 5% of all Bitcoin, urged developers to start preparing for the quantum threat now, warning that consensus changes and migration “can take years.” Coinbase is a Bitcoin and cryptocurrency exchange company based in San Francisco.

It laid out technical requirements—backing a flexible “container” design like BIP-360, a staged “1-of-2” classical-plus-quantum spending path, and compatibility with the MPC key-splitting custodians rely on. The exchange said dormant, lost, and Satoshi-era coins are a separate governance problem.