Adrieris
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🛡 Three Scenarios for Protecting Lost BTC from Quantum Computers
Zak Pandl, head of research at Grayscale, believes that the main quantum challenges for Bitcoin (BTC) are more about community discussions than technology. The primary difficulty lies in the need for consensus. In a recent blog post, Pandl noted that Bitcoin is inherently less susceptible to technical risks than other cryptocurrencies. It operates on the UTXO model, uses a proof-of-work consensus, does not support smart contracts at the protocol level, and certain types of addresses remain safe from quantum attacks if not reused.
The main threat comes from coins whose access has been lost—if private keys are lost or no longer accessible. This also includes approximately 1 million BTC attributed to Satoshi Nakamoto—worth about $68.9 billion at current rates. Since no one controls these keys, it is impossible to transfer the funds to a quantum-resistant format.
Pandl outlined three scenarios that the Bitcoin community may consider:permanently freeze vulnerable coins; leave the issue unresolved; limit the withdrawal speed of funds from open addresses.
