#WriteToEarn To protect Bitcoin from the "quantum threat", proposal seeks to freeze Satoshi's coins

The proposal would affect about 25% of existing bitcoins, including 1 million BTC believed to belong to Satoshi Nakamoto.

Jameson Lopp, CTO and co-founder of the self-custody service Casa, proposed on Tuesday (16) a change to Bitcoin's software aimed at addressing the catastrophic potential of quantum computing.

The proposal, signed by five other developers, aims to create incentives for Bitcoin holders to migrate their assets to more secure storage forms that cannot be compromised by quantum computers. The plan also includes the introduction of other technical safeguards.

"The proposal turns quantum security into a private incentive," says the summary of the document. "If you do not upgrade [to a new type of address], you will certainly lose access to your funds."

In recent years, experts have shown increasing concern about quantum computers — once seen as a distant threat — and now considered capable, within a decade, of reversing the engineering of private keys for Bitcoin wallets. This could trigger a mass liquidation event of old coins.

According to the proposal, transactions to addresses vulnerable to quantum computing would eventually be prohibited, encouraging the use of post-quantum addresses. In a later phase, the plan also provides for blocking the spending of bitcoins held in these vulnerable addresses over a five-year period.

An optional third phase would involve the creation of a new BIP (Bitcoin Improvement Proposal) to address the secure recovery, in a quantum-resistant environment, of the frozen bitcoins.

Lopp's initiative was revealed during the Quantum Bitcoin Summit, a closed event held in San Francisco, which brought together experts seeking solutions to mitigate quantum risks.