Quantum computing is no longer a theoretical threat confined to research labs. It is advancing, and the Bitcoin<\/a> network knows it. In this context, cypherpunk Jameson Lopp<\/strong>, a historical figure in the ecosystem, along with five researchers, submitted BIP-361<\/strong>. This is a three-phase upgrade proposal designed to protect the network before a sufficiently powerful quantum computer can break the cryptographic keys of older wallets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The proposal is radical in its design. Initially, users would be forced to migrate their funds to quantum-resistant addresses. Next, sending funds to old addresses would be banned within three years<\/strong> of activation. Finally, and this is where the debate heats up, obsolete signatures would simply be invalidated five years<\/strong> after activation. In other words, unmigrated Bitcoins would be frozen, inaccessible, and lost to their owners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This mechanism relies on zero-knowledge proofs<\/strong> to allow holders to prove ownership of their funds without exposing their vulnerable public keys. It is technically elegant but politically explosive in a community that places individual sovereignty above almost everything else. To understand the technical implications of this type of upgrade on the Bitcoin blockchain<\/a>, the debate touches on the very foundations of the protocol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n