To freeze or not to freeze: Satoshi and the $440 billion in bitcoin threatened by quantum computing

As quantum computing inches closer to reality, nearly 7 million bitcoin, including Satoshi Nakamoto’s 1 million coins, are potentially at risk. What to know : Quantum computers powerful enough to break Bitcoin's cryptography could expose roughly 7 million coins, including about 1 million attributed to Satoshi Nakamoto, worth an estimated $440 billion at current prices. The Bitcoin community is split between preserving strict neutrality and immutability—letting quantum attackers claim vulnerable coins—and intervening through protocol changes such as burning or migrating at-risk coins to quantum-resistant addresses. While some experts warn that recent research may accelerate the timeline for breaking current encryption, others argue the threat remains distant and can be addressed through engineering upgrades rather than drastic governance changes.