Against Allowing Quantum Recovery of Bitcoin

In a recent discussion, an interesting point was raised about the utilization of NUMS points in Bitcoin's scriptPubKey. Initially, it was believed that the NUMS point could be directly identified on the blockchain. However, this notion was corrected with the clarification that the scriptPubKey visible on the chain does not actually display the NUMS point itself. Instead, what is seen is an internal key that has undergone a modification process known as tweaking. This tweaked key is what is used in transactions.

A significant aspect of this process is that when a transaction using the tweaked key takes place, the specific details of the tweak are not disclosed to the blockchain. This means that despite the involvement of a NUMS point in the transaction's creation, the blockchain remains unaware of its use and cannot prevent the transaction from being executed. This detail sheds light on the complexities of Bitcoin's cryptographic mechanisms and the challenges in tracking or regulating certain types of transactions based on their underlying cryptographic attributes.

For more detailed information and ongoing discussions, one can refer to the original post in the Bitcoin Development Mailing List, available through this link.