Bitcoin Faces Quantum Threat as Dormant Coins Could Be Vulnerable

Last updated on March 8th, 2026 at 03:58 pm

Bitcoin could be at serious risk from future advances in quantum computing, raising questions about the security of millions of coins, including Satoshi Nakamoto’s estimated 1 million BTC.

Ki Young Ju, founder of CryptoQuant, highlighted that protecting Bitcoin may require freezing old coins or risk theft from quantum attacks.

https://t.co/7oGUyY4wtM
— Ki Young Ju (@ki_young_ju) February 18, 2026

Quantum attacks put old coins at risk

Bitcoin’s current security depends on cryptography that is practically impossible for classical computers to break. However, sufficiently powerful quantum machines could derive private keys from exposed public keys. Ju warns that coins that appear secure today could become spendable by attackers in the future.

Approximately 6.89 million BTC are potentially exposed, with 1.91 million having visible public keys and up to 4.98 million possibly exposed through prior transactions. This includes coins held in older addresses, which are especially vulnerable if a network upgrade is not implemented.

Dormant coins and community consensus challenges

Around 3.4 million BTC have remained dormant for over ten years, including Satoshi’s holdings. At current market prices, these coins represent hundreds of billions of dollars, creating a strong incentive for quantum attackers. Ju emphasized that even if technical solutions exist, reaching social consensus in the Bitcoin community is slow and challenging.

Past conflicts, such as the block size debate, lasted years and sometimes led to forks. Freezing dormant coins would challenge Bitcoin’s core ethos and may face strong community resistance.

As quantum technology continues to advance, Bitcoin developers and the wider community will need to act quickly to protect legacy coins. The debate over freezing old addresses versus maintaining network philosophy is already pressing, and early discussions could determine how the network navigates the coming quantum era.

Notably, bitcoin’s price appears steady, but on-chain metrics reveal growing vulnerabilities beneath the surface. The Inter-Exchange Flow Pulse (IFP), which tracks Bitcoin movement between exchanges, has recently turned red, signalling a slowdown in capital circulation.

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