Quantum Breakthrough Could Unlock Satoshi’s 1M Bitcoin, CryptoQuant CEO Warns

Highlights:

• CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju warned that Bitcoin faces serious quantum security threats.
• He cautioned that exposed public keys leave 6.89 million BTC vulnerable long‑term.
• He stressed dormant 3.4 million BTC, including Satoshi’s coins, could be prime targets.

Ki Young Ju, the founder and CEO of CryptoQuant, posted a serious warning on social media about Bitcoin’s long-term security. He says millions of BTC might be vulnerable to future quantum computing attacks unless the Bitcoin community takes action now. The issue has sparked debate among developers, investors, and crypto watchers about how to protect dormant coins from a coming threat.

https://t.co/7oGUyY4wtM

— Ki Young Ju (@ki_young_ju) February 18, 2026

Exposed Public Keys Put 6.89 Million BTC at Long-Term Risk

Ju’s post highlights that once a Bitcoin public key appears on the blockchain, it stays visible forever. This matters because public keys are linked to private keys, the secret codes that let someone spend coins. Right now, normal computers cannot figure out the private key from the public key. But quantum computers could potentially change that in the future.

According to his analysis, about 6.89 million BTC are at risk right now. Of that total, around 1.91 million BTC sit in old addresses where public keys are permanently exposed, and another 4.98 million BTC may have been exposed through past transactions. Once a public key is on the chain, that vulnerability never goes away.

Out of the total at-risk coins, roughly 3.4 million BTC haven’t moved in more than a decade. That includes around 1 million BTC believed to belong to Bitcoin’s mysterious creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. At current market prices, this dormant stash is worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Ju says such a large sum anywhere makes it a potential target if quantum attacks become practical. 

The Debate Over Freezing Vulnerable Bitcoin Addresses

Ju said the Bitcoin community may face a simple choice. Either update the network to freeze at-risk addresses, or leave them exposed to possible quantum attacks in the future. The key point is that technical fixes are fast, but social agreement is slow. Bitcoin upgrades require broad consensus across developers, miners, exchanges, and users. That can take years and has historically been controversial.

The idea of freezing coins goes against Bitcoin’s core principle of immutability. That’s why Ju’s warning is unsettling for many. Freezing addresses would mean taking control of coins that have been dormant and untouched for years. Some see that as necessary for long-term security. Others fear it sets a dangerous precedent.

Quantum Threat to Bitcoin Not Immediate, But Institutions Are Watching Closely

Industry experts say the risk from quantum computers is not immediate. Powerful enough quantum machines capable of breaking Bitcoin’s cryptography do not exist yet. Most estimates place that possibility 10 to 30 years in the future, but cryptographers are already designing quantum-resistant systems ahead of time.

The current security of the Bitcoin is based on the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA). Although the algorithm is secure from classical computers, it is not secure from quantum computers. When people spend their Bitcoins, they have to reveal their public keys. If quantum computers can reverse the public keys and find the private keys, they can steal the Bitcoins.

This isn’t just about old addresses and Satoshi’s stash. Anyone who used older address formats or reused them in transactions faces the same potential long-term risk. That includes wallets owned by ordinary holders and early adopters.

Recently, Kevin O’Leary from Shark Tank said that big investment committees are now talking about quantum computing risks before deciding how much Bitcoin to buy. He commented after Bitcoin dropped nearly 50% from its October high. During that period, many institutional investors chose to cut back their crypto exposure.

JUST IN: Kevin O’Leary aka Mr. Wonderful says that institutions do not want to own more than 3% of Bitcoin in their portfolios because of the risk of quantum computing. pic.twitter.com/bwx5Oz8NqS

— Crypto Pump (@crypto_pump00) February 17, 2026