BTQ Technologies, a company specializing in quantum-resistant cryptography, has announced a new solution aimed at protecting the Bitcoin blockchain against future quantum threats.
The company explained that this network, called “Bitcoin Quantum,” is a permissionless fork testnet designed to test resilience against quantum attacks.
Chris Tam, BTQ’s Director of Partnerships, stated that Bitcoin Quantum offers a public testing environment for miners, developers, researchers, and users. According to Tam, this network allows for stress testing of quantum transactions and the observation of trade-offs that might arise in real-world use before discussions about upgrading the mainnet become urgent. The system also includes components such as block explorers and mining pools, ensuring immediate accessibility.
Tam also argued that Dilithium (officially known as Modular Lattice-Based Digital Signature Algorithm – ML-DSA), a quantum-resistant signature algorithm standardized in the US in August 2024, is the core technology used in the Bitcoin Quantum network. However, he noted that such algorithms have not yet been widely adopted, particularly in rapidly innovative fields like cryptocurrencies.
The main reason for this is cost and performance issues. Compared to the digital signatures used in current blockchains, quantum-resistant algorithms are said to have a data size at least 200 times larger. This significantly increases transaction costs and performance burden in large-scale deployments.
*This is not investment advice.
