Bitcoin proposal suggests freezing addresses vulnerable to quantum attacks, including those of Satoshi Nakamoto

Casa CTO and co-founder Jameson Lopp proposed a Bitcoin improvement proposal on Tuesday to address the potential threat posed by quantum computers to the Bitcoin network. The proposal, co-authored by six developers, plans to phase out quantum-vulnerable address types in three stages. According to a recent study by Deloitte, approximately 25% of Bitcoin is currently at risk from quantum computing, including 1 million Bitcoin believed to belong to Bitcoin founder Satoshi Nakamoto. Experts worry that as quantum computing technology advances, the private keys of these old wallets may be reverse-engineered within the next decade. The proposal would prohibit sending funds to quantum-vulnerable addresses and freeze Bitcoin in those addresses within five years, while encouraging users to adopt "post-quantum" Bitcoin address types. The proposal's authors emphasized: "Bitcoin has never faced an existential threat to its cryptographic foundations, and a successful quantum attack would cause significant economic disruption and damage to the entire ecosystem." (Decrypt) [Odaily Planet Daily News]