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Vili Wu: Defense Against Quantum Computer Attacks Will Breach Bitcoin Regulations, 2026/02/16 18:52:39
Co-founder of Bitcoin Vector and the investment fund CMCC Crest, Willy Woo, expresses concern that the need for a hard fork in the Bitcoin network to protect the blockchain of the first cryptocurrency from quantum computer attacks could be detrimental to crypto investors.
The market has already begun to factor in the risk of a “Q Day,” when a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could breach the algorithms underlying Bitcoin’s public keys, according to the crypto entrepreneur. Woo believes that Q Day could arrive within the next five to fifteen years.
The businessman reminded that approximately 4 million “orphaned bitcoins,” whose owners may have lost their private keys, represent about 25-30% of the total supply of the first cryptocurrency. These coins are stored at addresses whose public keys are currently visible on the blockchain.
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The entrepreneur assessed a 25% likelihood of these coins being frozen through a hard fork of the network. However, any decision to block these coins would violate the operational rules of the blockchain, including property rights. Such a freeze could lead to a significant divide within the community, with some prioritizing updates that maintain existing rules and coins without nullifying past transactions, while others may be willing to alter the rules to protect coins mined at the very beginning of the network’s existence.
According to the co-founder of Bitcoin Vector, with a 75% probability that “early bitcoins” will remain untouched, investors should prepare for the scenario where these crypto assets may be the first to face the risk of quantum attacks. If a powerful quantum computer can decipher the private keys of these bitcoins, the coins could re-enter the market, Woo believes. He is concerned that the increasing focus of crypto investors on the quantum threat negatively impacts Bitcoin’s long-term prospects compared to gold.
Recently, Woo stated that if Bitcoin can surpass the critical resistance level of $90,000–100,000, a rally will commence. However, the businessman doubts the chances of Bitcoin reaching a new all-time high this year.
