Coinbase says Bitcoin should begin preparing now for a future in which quantum computers could threaten today’s digital signatures, even though the company is not claiming such a machine exists today.

In an October 13 technical note, Coinbase argued that a Bitcoin migration would need to solve more than simply choosing a quantum-resistant signature algorithm. Any upgrade would also have to fit Bitcoin’s limited block space, remain practical for full nodes, work with ordinary wallets and institutional custody, and provide a path for coins that migrate late.

The company favors flexible output designs that separate the Bitcoin output “container” from the signature system. It specifically pointed to P2MR, proposed in BIP-360, and P2TRv2 as possible architectures. Coinbase also suggested studying hybrid outputs that could be spent with either a classical ECDSA/Schnorr key or a post-quantum key during a staged transition.

Director of Research, @n1ckler, will be on the main stage at @OPNEXT2026 on April 16th.

He'll be presenting on OP_SHRINCSVERIFY, a new opcode enabling SHRINCS: 324-byte stateful post-quantum signatures with static backups.

See you there. 🔬 https://t.co/4zNLtEYbje

— Blockstream (@Blockstream) February 26, 2026

Blockstream highlighted SHRINCS, a compact post-quantum signature design that Coinbase specifically included among the candidates worth evaluating.

This Is Planning, Not Panic

Coinbase described the transition as a multi-year engineering problem, not evidence that Bitcoin is currently broken. That distinction matches BitcoinVersus.Tech’s recent explainers on whether quantum computers can hack Bitcoin, post-quantum cryptography, and the developer debate over Bitcoin quantum security.

The Block separately reported that Coinbase is prioritizing flexible designs, staged protection and Bitcoin-specific testing. The company also cautioned that stateful post-quantum signatures can create serious operational risks if signing state is accidentally reused.

Bitcoin 2026 panelists discuss BIP-360, migration strategies and the engineering tradeoffs behind a possible post-quantum soft fork.

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