Blockstream researcher Jonas Nick announced the following new proposal at the OPNEXT 2026 conference in New York: opcode For Bitcoin it is called OP_CHECKSHRINCS.
As Nick himself stated at an event on April 20th of this year, there are currently no concrete proposals for post-quantum signature verification on Bitcoin’s main network. this opcode We’re trying to fill in the gaps that Blockstream developers have warned us about.
and opcode (or code operations) are the basic instructions of the Bitcoin programming language, called Bitcoin Script. Tells the network how to validate transactions. OP_CHECKSHRINCS acts as a verifier, allowing Bitcoin to recognize and verify signatures generated with Blockstream’s SHRINCS and SHRIMPS post-quantum schemes, something the network cannot do natively.
without him opcode As presented by Nick, both schemes cannot operate on mainnet even though they exist as crypto developments.
As reported by CriptoNoticias, SHRINCS and SHRIMPS are two digital signature schemes that are resistant to quantum computers. SHRINCS operates with two signature paths: a compact path for the primary device and a backup path, with the most efficient path producing a 580-byte signature.
SHRIMPS extends the scheme to allow multiple devices loaded with the same seed to sign independently, and the backup device’s signature is approximately 3,000 bytes.
According to Blockstream developers: Both schemes can be combined For the primary device to use SHRINCS, backup Use shrimp.
Bitcoin post-quantum signature size
An ECDSA signature (the encryption scheme Bitcoin currently uses to authorize transactions for users) weighs between 70 and 72 bytes, while a SHRINCS signature for its compact path weighs 580 bytes and a SHRIMPS signature for backup devices weighs up to 3,000 bytes.
Bitcoin’s block size is fixed, so The heavier the signature, the fewer transactions per block Competition for block space may also result in higher fees for users. This is the problem that Blockstream is trying to solve with a combination of signature paths. According to researcher Nick’s presentation, the optimal combination of SHRINCS and SHRIMPS results in performance in the range of 0.6 to 3 transactions per second.
Bitcoin currently processes an average of 7 to 8 transactions per second. Nick acknowledged that even in the best-case scenario, the OP_CHECKSHRINCS, SHRINCS, and SHRIMPS suggestions are valid. means a decrease in capacityHowever, he considered it acceptable compared to alternatives that use heavier post-quantum standards, such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) SLH-DSA, where signatures reach 7,872 bytes.
Efforts like Blockstream therefore reflect how various teams within the ecosystem are accelerating the development of specific solutions, such as BIP-360 and BIP-361, while advances in quantum hardware shorten the theoretical deadline for breaching cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.
The open question is not whether Bitcoin should transition to post-quantum cryptography, but when the community will reach a consensus to do so.
(Tag translation) Bitcoin (BTC)
