Paper 2025/2203 Original: eprint.iacr.org/2025/2203 ↗
Hash-based Signature Schemes for Bitcoin
Abstract
Hash-based signature schemes offer a promising post-quantum alternative for Bitcoin, as their security relies solely on hash function assumptions similar to those already underpinning Bitcoin's design. We provide a comprehensive overview of these schemes, from basic primitives to SPHINCS+ and its variants, and investigate parameter selection tailored to Bitcoin's specific requirements. By applying recent optimizations such as SPHINCS+C, TL-WOTS-TW, and PORS+FP, and by reducing the allowed number of signatures per public key, we achieve significant size improvements over the standardized SPHINCS+ (SLH-DSA).We provide public scripts for reproducibility and discuss limitations regarding key derivation, multi-signatures, and threshold signatures.
Metadata
- Available format(s)
PDF- Category
- Applications
- Publication info
- Preprint.
- History
- 2025-12-05: last updated
- 2025-12-05: published
- Short URL
- https://ia.cr/2025/2203
- License
- https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX
@misc{cryptoeprint:2025/2203,
author = {Mikhail Kudinov and Jonas Nick},
title = {Hash-based Signature Schemes for Bitcoin},
howpublished = {Cryptology {ePrint} Archive, Paper 2025/2203},
year = {2025},
url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2025/2203}
}