Independent Bitcoin researcher conduition has received a grant from Brink, a non-profit Bitcoin developer funding organization, to focus on post-quantum (PQ) cryptography research. The grant supports three main research tracks: (1) co-authoring the SHRINCS BIP — a hash-based signature scheme to protect Bitcoin against quantum computers — alongside Blockstream Research and others; (2) formalizing commit/reveal rescue protocols for recovering UTXOs if a quantum computer emerges before users migrate to PQ-safe addresses; and (3) exploring isogeny cryptography as a potential long-term replacement for Bitcoin's elliptic curve crypto, including profiling verification costs of schemes like SQIsign and PRISM. The author explains why they chose a grant over employment at Blockstream (to preserve independence and avoid political optics), and why Brink specifically (reputation, alumni network, flexibility). The grant runs through Q1 2027.
