Hash-Based Signatures for Bitcoin's Post-Quantum Future

In the ongoing discussion among Bitcoin developers, an important topic of debate is whether Multi-Party Computation (MPC) considerations should influence the selection of parameters in cryptographic schemes. Despite the current viewpoint that generic MPC approaches may seem impractical for widespread implementation, there's an openness to experimentation and further research in this area. This attitude stems from the recognition that there might be specific scenarios where the drawbacks, such as extended signing times up to 85 minutes, could be deemed acceptable under certain conditions.

A particular point of interest is the examination of stateful signature schemes like SHRINCS, which in comparison to SPHINCS+, offer a more feasible path for implementing MPC-based N/N multisignature protocols due to their minimal computational requirements—only necessitating a few hash operations in optimal cases. While it's acknowledged that SHRINCS signatures are inherently small, leading to less significant space savings when compared to other schemes, the potential for making MPC-based approaches more manageable highlights an area ripe for exploration. Further details and discussions on this can be found through relevant resources and communities engaged in Bitcoin development.