According to ChainCatcher, Changpeng Zhao, also known as CZ, reposted an interview video on X in which he discussed the impact that quantum computing could have on Bitcoin’s cryptographic system. The discussion included the security of early Bitcoin addresses and the threat to Bitcoin held by Satoshi Nakamoto if older cryptographic protections were broken by future quantum attacks.
Three Paths for the Bitcoin Community
CZ said that if the old cryptographic system were compromised, the Bitcoin community could face three broad choices. The first would be to “do nothing,” allowing the relevant assets to be moved by attackers naturally. This could create selling pressure, but over time it could also result in those assets being redistributed back into the community through market circulation.
The second option would be to freeze or restrict the relevant addresses, with a design that could return assets if identity could be verified. CZ said this route would face technical and trust-related problems once the underlying encryption had already been broken. The third option would be an intermediate approach, such as slowing down or delaying transfers, but he noted that this would also involve complex execution.
A Governance Window and Protocol Upgrade Proposal
CZ also raised a compromise idea: the community could set a governance-defined time window, such as 6 to 12 months. If funds in relevant early addresses still did not move during that period, the network could use a fork or protocol upgrade to lock them, removing them from circulation permanently. The purpose would be to avoid a future scenario in which attackers steal those funds in a concentrated way and create market-selling pressure.
He emphasized that such a decision should be made through community voting rather than by any single party. CZ added that there is no perfect answer at present, but said that “taking no action may become the worst outcome in the future.” For that reason, he argued that mechanisms should be designed in advance to address quantum-related risks to Bitcoin’s older cryptographic structure.