**[Vaulted CEO: Quantum Computing May "End" Bitcoin in the Next 4 Years]** BlockBeats News, August 2: According to a report by *Forbes*, David McAlvany, CEO of the gold investment app Vaulted, stated that he believes Bitcoin could disappear within the next four years due to quantum computing. He said that once quantum computers can quickly solve the mathematical problems protecting Bitcoin's private keys, "that will be the end of Bitcoin." However, McAlvany later admitted that he could not determine whether such a breakthrough would occur in four years, five years, or even two months. As of mid-2026, there are no quantum computers capable of breaking Bitcoin's encryption algorithms. His viewpoint is primarily based on concerns about the future pace of quantum computing development rather than any security incidents that have already occurred. Galaxy Digital estimates that approximately 7 million $BTC addresses have exposed their public keys on-chain, representing a value of about $470 billion. Glassnode estimates this figure at 6.04 million $BTC, accounting for 30.2% of Bitcoin's supply. The exposure of public keys does not equate to stolen assets; only if quantum computers can derive private keys from public keys would these addresses face actual theft risks. McAlvany also compared Bitcoin to gold and questioned whether Bitcoin could exist for 5,000 years. He expressed relative confidence that gold would still exist by then, but Bitcoin "might or might not." Currently, Bitcoin developers are divided on potential solutions. BIP-360 proposes adding quantum-resistant address types, while BIP-361 plans to phase out support for legacy signatures. Assets not migrated in time could be permanently frozen, including Bitcoin believed to belong to Satoshi Nakamoto. Supporters argue that freezing assets is preferable to allowing quantum attackers to steal and sell them, while critics view this as a form of confiscation. Companies like BOLTS Technologies and American Fortress are also developing cross-chain quantum-resistant solutions. In May, American Fortress completed an $8 million seed funding round and claimed its technology could protect assets without requiring users to migrate their addresses. However, the related technical paper has yet to be published, and the design has not undergone public auditing. [Original Article Link]