Dan Robinson says the model could help prove control of private keys without onchain transactions, including long-idle Bitcoin from the network’s early years.
Paradigm researcher Dan Robinson has proposed a model called PACTs aimed at protecting dormant Bitcoin from potential future risks posed by quantum computing. The proposal is designed to let holders prove control of private keys without making onchain transactions, a feature that could matter for Bitcoin that has remained untouched since the cryptocurrency’s early period. The idea addresses a long-discussed concern in crypto: sufficiently advanced quantum computers could eventually challenge some existing cryptographic assumptions, making protective mechanisms relevant for inactive wallets that cannot easily demonstrate ownership through normal network activity.