- CryptoQuant founder Ki Young Ju warns about a potential threat to Bitcoin.
- Ju cautions that old BTC addresses are vulnerable to future quantum attacks.
- The 1 million holdings of Satoshi Nakamoto are also at risk.
Bitcoin is currently facing a new threat from quantum computing, according to CryptoQuant founder Ki Young Ju. His theory claims that certain old Bitcoin addresses are vulnerable to future quantum attacks. These include roughly 1 million BTC linked to Satoshi Nakamoto, as well as millions more that have been dormant for over a decade.
As noted by the CryptoQuant CEO, the risk is basically due to the potential that quantum computers can derive private keys from public keys, giving hackers access to these coins. To stay safe, the Bitcoin protocol should eventually need an upgrade, and wallet owners who miss it could see their coins at risk. While quantum attacks are not a current threat, Ju urges the community to prepare for a future where these machines become feasible.
Why Bitcoin is Vulnerable to Quantum Attacks?
Ki Young Ju, the founder and CEO of the on-chain data platform CryptoQuant, has shared warnings about the potential danger that quantum computers could pose to Bitcoin. He specifically flagged old BTC addresses, including the portfolio of the project’s pseudonymous founder, Satoshi Nakamoto.
In his latest article, Ju noted that the 1 million BTC held by Nakamoto and the millions of holdings of dormant OG whales are significantly at risk. Though not at present, quantum computers can become more powerful in the future, acquiring the ability to access these BTC wallets. At the time, Ju believes that the wallets, including Satoshi’s, could be frozen or completely stolen by quantum hackers.
“Coins that appear perfectly safe today could become spendable by an attacker tomorrow,” stated Ju. He added,
“Not just Satoshi. Anyone using old address types faces the same risk: coins frozen by design or stolen via quantum attacks. We may never hear another story of lost coins being recovered. Even securely stored keys could become useless if owners miss a protocol upgrade.”
Ju pointed out that about 3.4 million BTC haven’t moved in over 10 years. Of this, 1 million belongs to Satoshi. At today’s price, hundreds of billions of dollars are sitting in old Bitcoin wallets.
The CryptoQuant founder explains two options Bitcoin has. The crypto should either protect these coins via a major upgrade, or the wallet could be drained in future quantum attacks. He stated that anyone using outdated addresses risks losing their coins. They will be either locked by design or stolen by hackers.
Satoshi Remains the Biggest BTC Holder
The latest reports suggest that Satoshi Nakamoto remains the largest holder of Bitcoin in 2026. He holds around 1.1 million coins, worth more than $75 million at today’s price.
This huge stash makes Satoshi the largest BTC holder; as of now, no company, individual, or government holds more coins. While institutions like Strategy and Metaplanet keep building their BTC reserves, Satoshi’s unmoved coins remain a symbol of scarcity, patience, and discipline.
If not upgraded, this massive portfolio will soon be under the control of hackers. Considering this, Ju put forward a question to his readers as a concluding note,
“Would you support freezing dormant coins, including Satoshi’s, to save BTC from quantum attacks? Or is it against Bitcoin’s core ethos? If this alone already divides us, the quantum debate must start now.”