Is there really a breakthrough in quantum computing? The first thing that might be targeted may not be the coins on exchanges, but the early addresses associated with Satoshi that haven’t been touched since 2009.
The reason isn’t mysterious: these coins use the earliest P2PK outputs, with the public key directly exposed on-chain; whereas most modern addresses only reveal a hash before they’re spent. In other words, an attacker doesn’t need to break the hash—just derive the private key by targeting the public key. And since nobody can move these coins—Satoshi won’t come forward to transfer them—they’re naturally the fattest targets.
But in analyses like this, the most realistic risk is often ignored: rushed migration to post-quantum cryptography can go wrong. Cranking it out introduces bugs, and scammers will also package phishing wallets as “anti-quantum upgrades.” The danger may not be quantum machines, but scams posing as “anti-quantum” solutions.
I tend to think the anti-quantum migration should be slow and phased, rather than being driven forward by panic.
$BTC If you could cast a vote: for coins in early addresses, do you support freezing protection—or leaving them exactly as they are?
The reason isn’t mysterious: these coins use the earliest P2PK outputs, with the public key directly exposed on-chain; whereas most modern addresses only reveal a hash before they’re spent. In other words, an attacker doesn’t need to break the hash—just derive the private key by targeting the public key. And since nobody can move these coins—Satoshi won’t come forward to transfer them—they’re naturally the fattest targets.
But in analyses like this, the most realistic risk is often ignored: rushed migration to post-quantum cryptography can go wrong. Cranking it out introduces bugs, and scammers will also package phishing wallets as “anti-quantum upgrades.” The danger may not be quantum machines, but scams posing as “anti-quantum” solutions.
I tend to think the anti-quantum migration should be slow and phased, rather than being driven forward by panic.
$BTC If you could cast a vote: for coins in early addresses, do you support freezing protection—or leaving them exactly as they are?