A blockchain startup proposes a soft fork to protect 1.1 million BTC and other dormant assets from potential quantum computing threats.
A privacy-focused blockchain startup has introduced a patent-pending post-quantum signature scheme designed to safeguard dormant cryptocurrency assets, including Satoshi Nakamoto’s 1.1 million BTC, without requiring mass fund migrations. The protocol targets nearly 5 million BTC in inactive wallets, valued at approximately $400 billion, using a backward-compatible soft fork and zero-knowledge proofs to freeze vulnerable pre-BIP32 addresses.
The proposed solution aims to secure major blockchains like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and Tron with minimal performance impact, relying on simple software updates for nodes and wallets. Governance mechanisms would later determine whether to move, burn, or redistribute the protected funds. The startup, backed by an $8 million seed round, claims the approach eliminates the need for costly and disruptive asset transfers.
The initiative addresses growing concerns over quantum computing’s potential to compromise cryptographic security, particularly for older, inactive wallets. If adopted, the protocol could mitigate systemic risks to the crypto ecosystem without altering existing transaction processes.