Quantum

Recent industry research has zeroed in on a new security question for Bitcoin: which coins are actually exposed to quantum risk right now, in their current holding state? The core test is whether the public key needed to spend a coin has already been revealed on-chain. By that measure, roughly 6.04 million BTC — 30.2% of total issuance — currently sit behind public keys that are already visible on-chain [1]. The remaining 13.99 million BTC (69.8%) keep their public keys hidden while dormant, and are not exposed under this model. (A subsequent update from the same researcher on October 8 later revised the exposed figure to 6.26 million BTC, or 31.2% of supply [2].) ...

On Tuesday, Bitcoin nudged lower around the $81k line, the tape as grindy as ever. Away from the price action, the quantum-computing front saw fresh movement — the latest turn in a story we have followed about the quantum threat to Bitcoin’s signatures. On October 16, nine blockchain companies announced the formation of the Quantum Alliance, a body meant to set a set of quantum-safety testing standards for blockchains, wallets, and infrastructure. ...

Bitcoin continues to pull back toward $76k, with the market waiting for tonight’s US CPI print. The threat quantum computing poses to Bitcoin — a sword that has hung overhead for a long time — has seen some fresh movement. ...