You could be right. There may at some point be a need (think quantum vulnerability) to stop relaying secp256k1 based txs. But that would be relay policy, not block consensus.

Agreed. It's pretty incredible that Bitcoin has managed to pull this off. 

I went back and forth on that clause for a while but decided to leave it in because I'm not convinced Bitcoin will forever hold that line. 

Scoresby

maybe your wallet is no longer able to understand the coins other people send to it

Nit: That would be a true protocol failure.

Until now, despite Mr. Hearn's objections/outrage a decade or so ago, the protocol remains forward compatible. This is a great feature that is massively underrated in both the complexity it brings to development and the coin recoverability it provides: I can still send you a classic p2pk transaction if that's all you're able to receive, and you in turn can still spend these coins.

bitcoin

Who pays for Bitcoin wallets?

> maybe your wallet is no longer able to understand the coins other people send to it

Nit: That would be a true protocol failure.

Until now, despite Mr. Hearn's objections/outrage a decade or so ago, the protocol remains forward compatible. This is a great feature that is massively underrated in both the complexity it brings to development and the coin recoverability it provides: I can still send you a classic p2pk transaction if that's all you're able to receive, and you in turn can still spend these coins.