Huoxing Finance reports that on August 2, according to Forbes, David McAlvany, CEO of the gold investment app Vaulted, stated that he believes Bitcoin could disappear within the next four years due to quantum computing. He said that once quantum computers are capable of rapidly solving the mathematical problems protecting Bitcoin private keys, “that would be the end of Bitcoin.” However, McAlvany later admitted he could not determine whether such a breakthrough would occur in four years, five years, or even two months. As of mid-2026, no quantum computer exists capable of breaking Bitcoin’s cryptographic algorithms. His view is based primarily on concerns about the future pace of quantum computing development, not on any actual security incidents. Galaxy Digital estimates that approximately 7 million BTC held in addresses have had their public keys exposed on-chain, valued at around $470 billion; Glassnode estimates 6.04 million BTC, representing 30.2% of Bitcoin’s total supply. Public key exposure does not equate to asset theft—these addresses are only at risk of actual theft if quantum computers can derive the corresponding private keys from the public keys. McAlvany also compared Bitcoin to gold and questioned whether Bitcoin could endure for 5,000 years. He expressed relative confidence that gold would still exist by then, but said Bitcoin “may or may not” still exist. Bitcoin developers currently hold differing views on potential solutions. BIP-360 proposes introducing quantum-resistant address types; BIP-361 plans to phase out support for legacy signatures, potentially permanently freezing assets that fail to migrate in time—including those believed to belong to Satoshi Nakamoto. Supporters argue that freezing assets is preferable to allowing quantum attackers to steal and dump them; critics view it as confiscation. Companies such as BOLTS Technologies and American Fortress are also developing cross-chain quantum-resistant solutions. American Fortress completed an $8 million seed round in May and claims its technology can protect assets without requiring users to migrate addresses; however, its technical whitepaper has not been published, and its design has not undergone public audit.
Vaulted CEO Predicts Quantum Computing May End Bitcoin Within 4 Years
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Summary
Bitcoin breaking news: Vaulted CEO David McAlvany warns that quantum computing could render Bitcoin obsolete within four years. He stated that if quantum computers break the cryptographic math underlying Bitcoin’s private keys, the network would face severe risk. Galaxy Digital estimates 7 million BTC (valued at $470 billion) are held in vulnerable addresses, while Glassnode reports 6.04 million BTC. Bitcoin developers are debating solutions, including BIP-360 for quantum-resistant addresses and BIP-361 to phase out legacy signatures. BOLTS and American Fortress are developing cross-chain quantum-resistant technology.
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