New Bitcoin proposal lets holders prove control of old wallets before quantum threats emerge

Paradigm proposed Provable Address-Control Timestamps (PACTs), a method allowing Bitcoin holders to privately timestamp proof of ownership for vulnerable old wallets without moving coins now. This system could protect wallets, including Satoshi Nakamoto's, from future quantum-computing attacks by enabling a rescue path using quantum-resistant proofs if the network freezes legacy addresses. However, it requires Bitcoin to adopt new STARK verification infrastructure via a soft fork and depends on key holders acting before quantum threats or community freezes occur. PACTs offer a middle ground in the debate over protecting dormant coins without forcing immediate moves, but cannot help if the original key holders are inactive or lost.