Satoshi's 1 Million BTC Might Have to Be Frozen or Lost to Quantum Hackers: CryptoQuant CEO

Satoshi's 1 Million BTC Might Have to Be Frozen or Lost to Quantum Hackers: CryptoQuant CEO

Source: UToday

Published:08:55 UTC

BTC Price:$68054

#Bitcoin #QuantumComputing #Security

Analysis

Price Impact

Med

The news highlights a significant, long-term theoretical risk to bitcoin's security from quantum computing, particularly for older, dormant addresses including satoshi's 1 million btc. if actualized, this could lead to a massive loss of trust and value. however, it is not an immediate threat, mitigating short-term panic.

Trustworthiness

High

Ki young ju, ceo of cryptoquant, is a well-respected figure in on-chain analytics. quantum computing's potential threat to current cryptographic standards (like those used by bitcoin) is a known and widely discussed theoretical risk within the cybersecurity and crypto communities.

Price Direction

Neutral

While the discussion points to a critical long-term vulnerability, quantum computing capabilities capable of breaking bitcoin's cryptography are still years away. therefore, there is no immediate bearish pressure on bitcoin's price. the emphasis on starting discussions now could even be seen as a positive for future-proofing bitcoin, but the underlying vulnerability is a negative sentiment.

Time Effect

Long

The article explicitly states that quantum attacks are 'uneconomical' currently and that 'discussions of quantum risks to bitcoin must begin now,' indicating that this is a forward-looking concern requiring long-term planning, protocol upgrades, and social consensus.

Original Article:

Article Content:

Cover image via U.Today Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available. Read U.TODAY on Google News OG BTC addresses are insecure against quantum hackers, Ju claims What can be done to prevent future Bitcoin quantum damage Advertisement Ki Young Ju, the founder and chief executive officer at the on-chain data aggregator CryptoQuant, has taken to social media to share his take on the possible risks that quantum computing may pose to Bitcoin. Particularly on OG addresses, holding BTC, including one million Bitcoins owned by Satoshi and unmoved since 2010. OG BTC addresses are insecure against quantum hackers, Ju claims On his X page, Ki Young Ju published an article dedicated to the risks of quantum computing Bitcoin may suffer from. In the first sentence, he admitted that once this breakthrough becomes real and those new generation computers become widely spread, he would rather have Satoshi Nakamoto’s wallet frozen. As well as all other Bitcoin addresses of old types, since, according to Ju, there will be a choice – those coins either become frozen or lost to quantum hackers. https://t.co/7oGUyY4wtM?from=article-links HOT Stories Saylor: 'We Are in Crypto Winter' Crypto Market Review: XRP at Make-or-Break $1.50, Shiba Inu (SHIB) Enters Oversold Range, Is BTC Triangle Breakout Incoming? — Ki Young Ju (@ki_young_ju) February 18, 2026 The main risk with quantum computers, argues Ju, is that “under certain conditions, sufficiently powerful quantum machines could derive a private key from an exposed public key.” Therefore, he believes, the Bitcoin protocol will have to undergo an upgrade that will make BTC secure in this respect. If wallet owners miss this upgrade, they will join the line of wallets at risk. Advertisement Currently, the expert says there are approximately 6.89 million Bitcoins vulnerable to quantum attacks. Those include 1 million Bitcoins in Satoshi Nakamoto’s wallet and 3.4 million Bitcoins that have been dormant for over a decade. So far, attacks on Bitcoin are uneconomical. However, a cheap quantum attack may change the status quo, Ju reminds the crypto community. You Might Also Like Tue, 02/17/2026 - 16:34 Is Bitcoin a Democracy? Adam Back Clarifies Protocol's Nondemocratic DNA By Gamza Khanzadaev Advertisement What can be done to prevent future Bitcoin quantum damage Ki Young Ju believes that social consensus in the Bitcoin community is rare and is hard to reach, referring to the block size debate and multiple Bitcoin forks that followed. He reckons that a decision to freeze dormant Bitcoins will face similar resistance. Discussions of quantum risks to Bitcoin must begin now, the CryptoQuant CEO insists, since “technical fixes move fast. Social consensus does not.” Besides, he admits that full consensus may never be reached, and this increases the risks of new Bitcoin forks emerging, while the quantum technology will continue to improve and advance. #Bitcoin #Quantum Computing