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06/13/2026

Coinbase Quantum Panel Divided on Fate of Vulnerable Bitcoin

What happened: Coinbase’s Independent Advisory Board on Quantum Computing and Blockchain released a follow-up position urging Bitcoin stakeholders to prepare for quantum threats, but declined to endor

Coinbase Quantum Panel Divided on Fate of Vulnerable Bitcoin

What happened: Coinbase’s Independent Advisory Board on Quantum Computing and Blockchain released a follow-up position urging Bitcoin stakeholders to prepare for quantum threats, but declined to endorse freezing or forcibly migrating the roughly 6.7 million BTC at risk. The panel, featuring leading cryptographers, highlighted three technical proposals—"Hourglass," "BIP-361," and "PACTs"—to mitigate risk, but remained split on whether unmigrated coins (including Satoshi-era holdings) should be rendered unspendable.

Why it matters: The vulnerability of about 1.7 million BTC in early pay-to-public-key addresses, plus another 5 million via address reuse, raises existential questions about property rights and protocol governance. The panel’s refusal to take a definitive stance reflects deep philosophical divides in the Bitcoin community, balancing the urgency of quantum preparedness against the sanctity of long-dormant coins. With some experts projecting quantum-capable computers by 2029, the debate over intervention versus non-interference is set to intensify.

Source: CoinDesk, Quantum Insider