Google researchers claim that a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could crack Bitcoin's core cryptography in less than nine minutes, raising concerns that such a threat could emerge as early as 2029. Developers are exploring several protection methods, including removing public keys in the blockchain (BIP 360), implementing post-quantum signatures based on hash functions like SPHINCS+, and using a commit/reveal scheme to secure transactions in the mempool. Additional proposals, such as Hourglass V2, would slow the spending of approximately 1.7 million already exposed bitcoins, including Satoshi Nakamoto's bitcoins, although any changes face discussions and slow adoption within Bitcoin's decentralized governance system.#GateSquareAprilPostingChallenge