Adam Back Says Quantum Computers Might One Day Force Satoshi to Move Bitcoin
Adam Back, a well-known early cypherpunk and someone mentioned by Satoshi Nakamoto in the original Bitcoin white paper, has warned that future advances in quantum computing could put Bitcoin’s security at risk.
Speaking at the Satoshi Spritz event in Turin on April 18, Back said that while today’s quantum computers aren’t strong enough to break Bitcoin’s encryption, that could change in the next 10 to 20 years. If that happens, older Bitcoin addresses — including those believed to belong to Satoshi — could become vulnerable to theft.
To protect their funds, Back believes Bitcoin holders will eventually need to move their coins to new, quantum-resistant addresses. If that time comes, even Satoshi may have to move their Bitcoin, which has remained untouched since 2009.
This potential move could reveal whether Satoshi is still alive — though not everyone agrees. One early anonymous miner said Satoshi might choose not to move the coins at all, letting the community handle the risk.
Back also talked about the challenges of adding quantum-resistant security to Bitcoin. Some solutions, like Lamport signatures, are secure but use a lot of data. He suggested using a flexible method based on Taproot, so users could switch to stronger protection only when needed.
In short, quantum computers may one day push Bitcoin — and maybe even Satoshi — into action. But for now, the threat is still far off.
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