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Bitcoin Core Developer: Rather than Risking 5.6 Million BTC to Quantum Hacking, It's Better to Lock Them Up
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2026-04-15 16:24

BlockBeats News, April 16th, Bitcoin core developer Jameson Lopp recently stated that instead of allowing quantum computing attackers to potentially steal those long-dormant bitcoins in the future, it would be better to freeze them. Approximately 5.6 million BTC (about 28% of the total supply) has been inactive for over a decade, likely permanently lost, with a value of around $420 billion. If these dormant coins were to be cracked by a quantum computer and enter the market, it could trigger severe price fluctuations and market panic, potentially harming confidence in the Bitcoin network. Lopp emphasized that this is not the outcome he would like to see, but rather a contingency plan to combat a potential existential threat. He is more inclined to make these "lost" coins unusable by attackers.

The BIP-361 proposal, in which Lopp participated, aims to gradually phase out the current quantum-vulnerable signature scheme and encourage users to upgrade their wallets by making transactions from non-upgraded wallets invalid. The idea is still in its early stages, and Lopp himself stated that he "dislikes" this proposal, hoping that it will never need to be implemented. However, he believes that in the face of the quantum threat, the overall security of the network is more important than strict immutability principles.

Source: BlockBeats

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