Are Your Bitcoins at Risk from Quantum Computers? The Shocking Truth Revealed

• How Quantum Computers Threaten Bitcoin’s Security
• The Numbers: 6.36 Million BTC in the Danger Zone
• Is Your Bitcoin Safe? A Quick Checklist
• Quantum-Resistant Addresses: What to Use
• The Bigger Picture: Exchanges and Lost Coins
• FAQs: Quantum Computing and Bitcoin

Quantum computing is no longer a distant threat—it's an imminent reality. According to ChainCode Labs, 32.7% of all bitcoin (approximately 6.36 million BTC) are currently vulnerable to quantum attacks. The primary culprits? Address reuse, outdated P2PK transactions, and Taproot (P2TR) UTXOs. This article dives deep into the risks, the math behind Bitcoin's cryptography, and actionable steps to safeguard your holdings. Spoiler: If you’ve reused addresses or hold early-era Bitcoin, you might be in trouble.

How Quantum Computers Threaten Bitcoin’s Security

Bitcoin’s security relies on asymmetric cryptography, where private keys generate public keys (and addresses) through one-way mathematical functions. While SHA-256 and RIPEMD-160 hashing currently protect addresses, quantum computers—armed with Shor’s algorithm—could reverse-engineer private keys from exposed public keys. The catch? Public keys are revealed when you spend BTC, making reused addresses a goldmine for quantum attackers.

The Numbers: 6.36 Million BTC in the Danger Zone

ChainCode’s report breaks down the vulnerabilities:

• 4.49 million BTC (69% of at-risk coins): Exposed due to address reuse, often by exchanges like Binance (one address holds 249,000 BTC!).
• 1.87 million BTC (P2PK UTXOs): Early Bitcoin transactions that directly exposed public keys.
• 0.15 million BTC (P2TR/Taproot): Mostly tied to Ordinals inscriptions.

Source:, presented at the Quantum Bitcoin Summit.

Is Your Bitcoin Safe? A Quick Checklist

You’re at risk if:

• You’ve reused a Bitcoin address after spending from it.
• You hold pre-2011 BTC (likely P2PK).
• You’ve dabbled in Ordinals (P2TR UTXOs).

Useto check for address reuse. If flagged, MOVE funds to a new address immediately.

Quantum-Resistant Addresses: What to Use

Stick to these address types (and never reuse them!):

• P2PKH (Legacy, starts with "1")
• P2SH (Multisig, starts with "3")
• P2WPKH/P2WSH (SegWit, starts with "bc1q")

The Bigger Picture: Exchanges and Lost Coins

Centralized exchanges are repeat offenders in address reuse. Meanwhile, ~2 million BTC (including Satoshi’s rumored stash) may remain permanently vulnerable due to lost keys. As one BTCC analyst noted, "This isn’t just a tech problem—it’s a race against time."

FAQs: Quantum Computing and Bitcoin

How soon could quantum computers break Bitcoin?

Experts estimate a 5–15 year timeline, but Google and Microsoft’s recent advances suggest it’s closer than we think. BIPs like BIP-360 aim to future-proof the network.

Can I still use Taproot (P2TR) safely?

Yes, but avoid reusing addresses. The risk lies in exposing public keys during transactions, not the Taproot design itself.

What’s being done to fix this?

Developers are exploring post-quantum cryptography (e.g., lattice-based schemes) and soft forks to phase out vulnerable UTXO types.