Galaxy Digital Research Director Alex Thorn says the Bitcoin community is converging on an early consensus around quantum computing risk — and the picture is less alarming than headline narratives suggest. The prevailing view holds that Satoshi Nakamoto's P2PK address holdings should remain untouched to preserve Bitcoin's foundational ownership principles.
A key reason the threat is lower than anticipated: Nakamoto's coins are spread across roughly 22,000 addresses holding 50 BTC each, rather than concentrated in a single target. That distribution significantly raises the practical cost of any quantum attack, since each address would need to be broken independently.
The emerging consensus appears to favour protocol-level caution without rushing to freeze or migrate legacy coins — a stance that balances security realism with respect for Bitcoin's immutability norms.
Frequently asked questions
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How does the distribution of Satoshi's coins impact the quantum threat to Bitcoin?
The distribution of Satoshi's coins across approximately 22,000 addresses holding 50 BTC each raises the practical cost of a quantum attack, as each address would need to be compromised individually.
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What is the Bitcoin community's stance on addressing quantum computing risks?
The Bitcoin community is leaning towards protocol-level caution, advocating for security without hastily freezing or migrating legacy coins.
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