Casa’s Chief Security Officer, Jameson Lopp, believes Bitcoin at risk from quantum computing should be burned rather than recovered. He argues that allowing recovery would violate Bitcoin’s core principles of immutability and decentralization.
Lopp warns that quantum recovery would shift wealth to those with advanced quantum technology, fundamentally altering Bitcoin’s fairness. If early Bitcoin holders lacked quantum-resistant protection, their coins could be taken by entities controlling quantum computers. Lopp stated.
Allowing quantum recovery of Bitcoin is tantamount to wealth redistribution. What we would be allowing is for Bitcoin to be redistributed from those who are ignorant of quantum computers to those who have won the technological race to acquire quantum computers
Is Quantum Computing a Real Threat?
Concerns over quantum computing’s impact on Bitcoin intensified last year when researchers at Shanghai University claimed to have broken encryption used in banking and military applications using a quantum computer.
The claim was widely circulated before YouTuber Mental Outlaw challenged the findings, pointing out that the quantum computer in question had only factored a small 22-bit key—far from the 2048-bit or higher encryption used in Bitcoin.
Similarly, Google’s Willow quantum chip made headlines for reducing quantum computing errors, increasing speculation that Bitcoin could be at risk sooner than expected. However, most cryptographers argue that current quantum technology is nowhere near the level required to break Bitcoin’s encryption.
According to a 2022 study a quantum computer would need at least 13 million qubits to crack a Bitcoin private key within a day, while current systems have only reached a few hundred qubits at best.
Around 75% of Bitcoin wallets are already protected from quantum threats, but older wallets remain at risk. Industry leaders, including Vitalik Buterin, have previously weighed in on the issue.
Developers are actively working on quantum-resistant cryptography, with new Bitcoin Improvement Proposals (BIPs) designed to enhance security. Lopp and other experts emphasize the need for proactive measures rather than waiting for quantum computing to become an immediate threat.
