Post-Quantum Migration for Bitcoin and Ethereum: Hidden-Key Proofs, Finalization, and Enforcement

Mehmet Sabir Kiraz; Suleyman Kardas

Paper 2026/352

Post-Quantum Migration for Bitcoin and Ethereum: Hidden-Key Proofs, Finalization, and Enforcement

Mehmet Sabir Kiraz

, De Montfort University

Suleyman Kardas

, Batman University

Abstract

Quantum computers threaten the elliptic-curve signatures used by Bitcoin and Ethereum once a public key appears on-chain. Hidden-key credentials, including those controlling Bitcoin P2PKH/P2WPKH outputs and unused Ethereum EOAs, have a different risk profile: their public keys are hidden behind hash-derived addresses, but classical spending reveals them. We propose a migration design that separates revealed-key and hidden-key credentials. Revealed-key credentials may use hybrid classical/post-quantum authorization only while the legacy signing secret remains uncompromised; after quantum recovery of that secret, an independent rescue policy or pre-committed recovery credential is required to distinguish the owner from an attacker. Hidden-key credentials use STARK-verifiable ownership relations that bind a legacy identifier to a commitment to a post-quantum public key without explicitly publishing the legacy elliptic-curve public key as a public value. Complete enrollment opens the commitment and verifies post-quantum key possession. The design adds one-way migration-registry semantics, quantum hash-security analysis, scenario-based network-capacity evaluation, and an SP1-based prototype. We distinguish Groth16/PLONK wrapping, which is only a current-EVM compatibility path, from an intended quantum-era transparent verification path; the exact post-quantum security of a concrete SP1 deployment depends on the pinned SP1 version, proof mode, and all cryptographic subarguments used by that configuration.

Note: Just updated title running.

Metadata

Available format(s): PDF
Category: Cryptographic protocols
Publication info: Preprint.
Keywords: Quantum Computing Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)Blockchain Bitcoin Ethereum zkSTARKs
Contact author(s): mehmet kiraz @ dmu ac uk
suleyman kardas @ batman edu tr
History: 2026-09-01: last of 4 revisions; 2026-02-21: received; See all versions
Short URL: https://ia.cr/2026/352
License: CC0

BibTeX

@misc{cryptoeprint:2026/352,
      author = {Mehmet Sabir Kiraz and Suleyman Kardas},
      title = {Post-Quantum Migration for Bitcoin and Ethereum: Hidden-Key Proofs, Finalization, and Enforcement},
      howpublished = {Cryptology {ePrint} Archive, Paper 2026/352},
      year = {2026},
      url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2026/352}
}