Controversial Bitcoin Proposal Aims to Burn BTC – Here’s Why
Amid growing concerns that quantum computers could potentially compromise Bitcoin’s security, developers have begun working on a hard fork that might change the cryptocurrency’s supply.
One of the latest contributors, Agustin Cruz, recently shared a draft of his proposal on the Bitcoin-Dev mailing list.
The draft, titled “Quantum-Resistant Address Migration Protocol” (QRAMP), outlines a new approach for handling unspent transaction outputs (UTXOs) — commonly known as bitcoins (BTC) — on the Bitcoin blockchain. This proposal includes initial code and guidelines for eliminating UTXOs that are susceptible to quantum threats.
Cruz’s draft suggests a hard fork that would enforce the migration of vulnerable UTXOs to quantum-resistant addresses. The reason for this move lies in the cryptographic foundations of Bitcoin, which currently rely on the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA). While ECDSA is secure against traditional computing threats, it may fall short against the advanced capabilities of quantum machines. Although no such computer has yet compromised UTXOs, the risk could become real as technology progresses.
If QRAMP gains sufficient support and is implemented in Bitcoin Core, users would face a deadline to transfer their coins to quantum-resistant wallets. Failure to do so would mean that Bitcoin Core would automatically reject any transaction from a legacy wallet, effectively rendering those funds unusable.
Cruz argues that the proposed protocol offers users a clear and unavoidable chance to secure their assets. He believes the proposal is both practical and essential for the network’s future. However, the potential for QRAMP to decrease the overall supply of BTC makes it controversial. Once the deadline passes, any remaining legacy UTXOs would be effectively “burned,” as the network would no longer recognize transactions involving them.
This proposal has sparked debate within the Bitcoin community, as some fear that unforeseen circumstances might prevent users from moving their funds on time. While Cruz’s draft remains unofficial and has not yet been assigned a BIP number, it has certainly ignited discussions about the best way to make Bitcoin resilient to quantum threats.
Alex is Editor-in-Chief of Coindoo and co-founder of Millennial Media Group, with nearly a decade of experience covering financial markets - crypto first, then everything else. It started in 2016 with Bitcoin. Like most people at the time, he didn't fully understand it - so he kept digging. Blockchain, tokenomics, the projects, the cycles. That curiosity never stopped, and eventually pulled him into traditional markets too: equities, commodities, macro. Not because he left crypto behind, but because you can't properly understand one without the other. What drives him is straightforward: he wants to know why something is happening, not just that it's happening. Most market coverage stops at the headline - price up, price down, here's a chart. Alex finds that kind of reporting actively unhelpful. If you walk away from an article without understanding the mechanism behind the move, what did you actually learn? He holds a degree in Tourism from New Bulgarian University - not the most obvious path into financial markets, but markets have a way of pulling in people who are simply too curious to stay out. He has authored over 200 in-depth analyses and more than 10,000 articles across crypto and traditional finance. He still thinks every day in markets teaches him something new. That's probably why he hasn't stopped.
