BlockBeats news: On October 16, the Quantum Alliance, composed of nine cryptocurrency companies, was officially launched. Publicly listed members include the security firm Hacken, Charles Hoskinson’s Midnight Foundation, the quantum-resistant Layer 1 blockchain Quantus, and Postquant Labs; the remaining members have not yet been individually disclosed. The alliance will establish common security standards for blockchains such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. It estimates that approximately 6.4 million bitcoins (30.2% of the total supply) have exposed public keys, including around 1.1 million bitcoins owned by Satoshi Nakamoto, though current quantum computers are not yet capable of stealing these assets.
There is significant disagreement within the Quantum Alliance regarding the threat timeline and response strategies. Bryn Bennett, Chief Revenue Officer at The Vault, said no one knows the exact date, but estimates continue to move forward; Richard Carback, Chief Technology Officer at Postquant Labs, believes 2028 is the realistic timeline.
Whether to freeze vulnerable assets has become the core point of contention. Carback favors transferring rather than freezing, while Bennett points out that freezing is a governance decision of the Bitcoin network, and any freeze sets a precedent of exchanging property rights and neutrality for quantum risk. Previously, CZ suggested freezing Satoshi’s bitcoins, and developer Jameson Lopp also proposed restricting vulnerable tokens, but critics argue this violates Bitcoin’s promise of non-confiscatability. The alliance plans to release shared security tests and migration guidelines in the future.