Bitcoin’s quantum problem is still years away, but Bernstein says 1.7 million BTC sitting in early address types could be among the most exposed if the technology ever gets there.
That includes an estimated 1.1 million BTC tied to Satoshi Nakamoto, which would matter only if quantum machines become strong enough to break today’s encryption.
Legacy Wallets In FocusBernstein said the most exposed address types include pay-to-public-key, pay-to-multisig and pay-to-Taproot formats.
CRYPTO: BERNSTEIN RESEARCH SAYS BITCOIN HAS 3-5 YEARS TO PREPARE FOR QUANTUM COMPUTING THREAT
Its estimate gives the crypto industry about three to five years to prepare for post-quantum security upgrades.
The report also leans on a broader industry view. Quantum experts generally give a 10-year timeline for cryptographically relevant quantum computers, or machines able to break today’s encryption, according to Bernstein’s chart. That gap is part of why the firm argues the issue is real but not urgent enough to trigger panic.
What Bitcoin Faces FirstThe rough number Bernstein cited — about 1.7 million BTC in early P2PK addresses — shows why the topic keeps returning. Those coins would not be the first target of any quantum attack, but they are the clearest example of what could be at stake if hardware advances faster than the network’s response. For now, Bernstein’s message is that Bitcoin has time, though not endless time, to prepare.
Featured image from Meta, chart from TradingView
