Satoshi’s 22,000 Wallets Could Make Quantum Attacks On Bitcoin Far More Difficult: Expert

The quantum threat to Bitcoin may be far less concentrated than widely assumed — and that structural detail is quietly reshaping how developers and investors think about the risk.

The distinction between long-range and short-range quantum attacks matters here, too. Neutral atom quantum systems — a competing approach to the more widely known superconducting method — are only capable of long-range attacks.

i had many discussions about quantum & bitcoin in las vegas this week, both on and off stage, with skeptics, advocates, and many overall smart bitcoiners

some consensus i feel is emerging:

1) satoshi’s coins (P2PK) should not be touched. violating his property rights could be…

Google recently opened a neutral atom lab shortly before publishing a major quantum computing paper. Some observers read that move as a quiet acknowledgment that superconducting technology may have limits, though the company has not said so directly.

On-chain data cited by Thorn also shows Bitcoin markets have regularly absorbed over 1 million BTC in a short window — meaning even a worst-case scenario involving a 50% price drop might be survivable if property rights were preserved in the process.

On the question of developing post-quantum cryptography for Bitcoin, the Las Vegas conversations pointed toward a clear middle ground. Background research — building, testing, and compressing new cryptographic signatures — was broadly seen as worthwhile, even if implementation remains years away.

The concern is not the research itself but how it gets introduced. Adding something untested to the protocol, or triggering governance gridlock while other upgrades wait, are the real dangers to avoid.

Featured image from Gemini, chart from TradingView