Quantum Threat Puts Millions Of Dormant Bitcoins—and Satoshi’s Holdings—at the Center Of A High‑Stakes Upgrade Debate

by
Alisa Davidson

Printed: February 18, 2026 at 3:20 am Up to date: February 18, 2026 at 3:20 am

by Ana

Edited and fact-checked:
February 18, 2026 at 3:20 am

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CryptoQuant CEO Ki Younger Ju has outlined what he describes as some of the uncomfortable realities surrounding a possible quantum‑resistant improve for Bitcoin: such a transition might require freezing roughly a million cash attributed to Satoshi Nakamoto, together with thousands and thousands extra held in older tackle codecs. 

On this view, the menace extends far past a single early holder. Any tackle sort that exposes a public key turns into susceptible, that means cash may very well be frozen by design or seized by way of quantum assaults. The lengthy‑standing tales of misplaced cash being recovered would possible disappear, and even securely saved keys might change into unusable if their homeowners fail to undertake a future protocol improve.

Bitcoin’s safety mannequin is constructed on cryptography that classical computer systems can not feasibly break. Quantum computing challenges that assumption. Below the best situations, a sufficiently superior quantum machine might derive a non-public key from any public key that has appeared on‑chain. This might flip cash that appear safe at this time into potential targets tomorrow. 

As soon as a public secret is uncovered, the vulnerability is everlasting, and estimates counsel that almost 6.9 million BTC fall into this class. Round 1.91 million BTC use early tackle codecs the place public keys are inherently seen, whereas as much as 4.98 million BTC might have had their public keys uncovered by way of earlier spending exercise. Bitcoin’s safety has at all times relied on the idea that assaults stay too costly to execute; low-cost quantum assaults would overturn that premise totally.

A big portion of those cash—about 3.4 million BTC—has been dormant for greater than a decade, together with the holdings extensively believed to belong to Satoshi. At present valuations, this represents a whole bunch of billions of {dollars} and a strong incentive for exploitation. The size of the chance raises a deeper query: how would the Bitcoin neighborhood reply if defending the community required freezing lengthy‑untouched cash?

Debating The Future Of Dormant Cash

Reaching settlement on such a choice can be terribly tough. The Bitcoin ecosystem has a protracted historical past of contentious debates, from the multi‑yr block dimension battle to the failed SegWit2x proposal. Any try to freeze dormant cash would collide straight with Bitcoin’s philosophical foundations and would possible face intense resistance. Technical options could be developed shortly, however social consensus strikes slowly, and the hole between the 2 widens as quantum expertise advances. The potential for rival forks rising can’t be dismissed if the neighborhood fails to agree on a unified path ahead.

The central subject just isn’t whether or not quantum‑degree threats arrive in 5 or ten years. The actual problem is that consensus might not type in time. Builders are usually not the bottleneck; the neighborhood is. The talk over whether or not freezing dormant cash—together with Satoshi’s—would shield Bitcoin or violate its core ethos illustrates how divisive the subject already is. If this query alone creates such a cut up, the broader quantum dialogue can’t be postponed.

Alisa, a devoted journalist on the MPost, focuses on cryptocurrency, zero-knowledge proofs, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a eager eye for rising developments and applied sciences, she delivers complete protection to tell and interact readers within the ever-evolving panorama of digital finance.

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