Bitcoin Is Rising To The Quantum Challenge, Galaxy Report Says
A Galaxy Digital report states that while Bitcoin faces a genuine threat from future quantum computers, the network is actively preparing rather than ignoring the risk. The analysis highlights that not all Bitcoin is equally vulnerable—only funds with exposed public keys, such as those in legacy wallets, reused addresses, or certain custodian setups, are at risk. Approximately 7 million BTC could be considered exposed under a broad definition.
Bitcoin’s UTXO model provides inherent protection, as public keys are typically revealed only when coins are spent. Developers are already working on solutions, with BIP 360 (Pay-to-Merkle-Root) emerging as a leading proposal to reduce quantum risk via a soft fork. Additional ideas, such as hash-based signatures and mechanisms like Hourglass, aim to protect already-exposed coins and limit potential damage.
Although Bitcoin upgrades move slowly, the report emphasizes that incentives are uniquely aligned to address this threat, as no one benefits from quantum vulnerability. The overall message is clear: the quantum risk is serious and concrete work is underway to mitigate it.
bitcoinist03/20 18:59
