Satoshi Scoop Weekly, 10 Jan 2025

Crypto Insights

Should Bitcoin's Quantum Resistance Upgrade Use a Soft Fork? Three Possible Paths

Matt Corallo proposed adding a quantum-resistant signature-checking opcode to Tapscript, ensuring funds remain spendable even if quantum computing renders ECDSA and Schnorr signatures insecure.

However, Luke Dashjr argued that a soft fork isn't immediately necessary if consensus on how quantum-resistant opcodes should function is reached now. Users could simply commit to the option for future activation.

Tadge Dryja suggested a temporary soft fork to restrict insecure ECDSA and Schnorr signatures if quantum threats become significant. This would become permanent only if someone breaks hash puzzles using quantum computing or other vulnerabilities. Otherwise, the fork could be renewed or allowed to lapse, allowing Bitcoins protected by ECDSA and Schnorr again.

600-Second Grace Period to Migrate Time Warp Attack

Sjors Provoost introduced a proposal under the Consensus Cleanup Soft Fork to mitigate time warp attacks. The "600-second grace period" would disallow the first block in a new difficulty period from being more than 600 seconds earlier than the final block of the previous period.

Multi-Party Eltoo with Bounded Settlement

Eltoo, a Bitcoin Layer 2 protocol, offers simplicity, constant storage, and compatibility with multi-party channels, but is vulnerable to dishonest participants trying to delay settlement of the channel state until HTLCs have expired by submitting old update transactions.

This bounded settlement Eltoo approach was proposed to punish dishonest behavior while providing a bounded settlement time. By allowing parties only one chance to update the channel state on-chain, the scheme minimizes malicious actors' ability to obstruct honest channel settlements.

The Yield Problem in BTCFi Staking/Re-staking Systems

Projects like Babylon and Eigenlayer advocate staking/re-staking but face the unresolved question: Where does the yield come from?

“This market has value, but it's NOT tens of billions right now, before there's even the slightest proof of product market fit and before networks start paying [a lot of] money for shared security. Maybe years down the line, but not now.”

UTXO Stack’s Decentralized Liquid Staking for Lightning Network Bottleneck

An analysis of the UTXO Stack's Decentralized Liquid Staking Protocol (DLSP) by a commentator concluded that nodes can borrow from the platform without pre-storing BTC, covering borrowing costs with transaction fees. This innovation could accelerate Lightning Network node operations and help overcome growth limitations.

NIST Approves Three Post-Quantum Cryptography Standards

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) approved the following post-quantum cryptography Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS):

• FIPS 203: Module-Lattice-Based Key-Encapsulation Mechanism Standard), derived from CRYSTALS-KYBER

• FIPS 204: Module-Lattice-Based Digital Signature Standard), derived from CRYSTALS-Dilithium

• FIPS 205: Stateless Hash-Based Digital Signature Standard, derived from SPHINCS+

Meanwhile, NIST is developing a FALCON-based digital algorithm as an alternative to the above standards.

Switzerland and Hong Kong Consider Bitcoin for Reserves

Switzerland: The Swiss Federal Chancellery requires the Swiss National Bank to add Bitcoin to national reserves alongside gold. To qualify for a referendum, the initiative has 18 months to gather 100,000 signatures.

Hong Kong: Lawmaker Wu Jie advocates that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region explore the inclusion of cryptocurrencies in its reserves and hold Bitcoin long-term.

Solana Introduces Quantum-Resistant Lamport Vault

Solana Winternitz Vault (GitHub repo) leverages Winternitz One-Time Signatures (WOTS) with truncated Keccak256 hash, offering 224-bit preimage resistance against quantum threats, including Grover’s algorithm.

Virtuals Protocol: Creating A Nation for AI Agents

Virtuals Protocol envisions creating a nation for AI agents. With superior productivity and scalability, such a nation could rival top global economies within years.

a16z’s 2025 Ideas and Decentralized Governance Trends

7 Big Ideas for 2025:

• Growing adoption of stablecoins by enterprises

• Governments exploring on-chain bonds

• The rise of blockchain network standards like DUNA (Decentralized Unincorporated Nonprofit Association)

• Builders reusing rather than reinventing infrastructure

• Dedicated app stores and discovery platforms for crypto apps

• Crypto owners becoming active users

• Simplifying interfaces to create "killer apps" by "hiding the wires"

6 Decentralized Governance Trends:

• Voter delegation websites

• AI delegation: Using AI agents to help users identify delegates aligned with their views

• AI delegates: Developing AI agents to vote based on principal's preferences, participate in forums, and draft proposals

• More meaningful incentives beyond one-off airdrops

• Improved public goods funding

• More experiments in sortition to shape policies

Video｜Solo Bitcoin Mining with Stratum on a Raspberry Pi 5

A tutorial demonstrates setting up a full Bitcoin node on a Raspberry Pi 5 for private solo mining with BitAxe or other Stratum-compatible miners, while gathering data from the Bitcoin network.

Podcast｜Branding with a16z x Nike Jordan

In this episode, Jason Mayden, Chief Design Officer at Nike Jordan, discusses the interdisciplinary nature of industrial design, human’s role in an AI world, and brand building across industries like crypto and sportswear.

Top Reads on Blockchain and Beyond

From Scientific Friction to Financial Innovation: A Biotech Revolution Driven by Communities

This article highlights a critical issue of our time: while scientific knowledge is rapidly advancing, treatments for severe diseases remain inaccessible for many. The problem lies not in scientific limitations but in structural market inefficiencies. The author outlines how BIO Protocol aims to address these flaws in the current biomedical system.

Amir Taaki and the Block Size Wars

This article explores Bitcoin pioneer Amir Taaki’s potential stance on the block size debate, imagining how his involvement might have unfolded if he hadn’t joined the Syrian civil war. The author speculates Taaki would have likely supported smaller blocks. The piece also delves into his recent critiques of corruption among Bitcoin’s established powers, including Bitcoin Core, and analyzes his adoption of some arguments from large-block proponents.

Bitcoin as a Second Skin: A Choice for Europe's Revolutionary Future

Tuur Demeester’s talk presents a rich and complex perspective on individualism, communism, and historical contexts, underlining the belief that individualism is central to personal and societal freedom. The argument aligns with the notion of Bitcoin as a tool for safeguarding individual sovereignty, resisting centralized and authoritarian systems.

The original speech was delivered at the Future of Bitcoin Conference in Antwerp, Belgium, on October 5, 2024.