Bitcoin “harvest now, decrypt later” risk don dey rise

Security researchers dey warn say Bitcoin quantum risk dey increase through “harvest now, decrypt later” strategy: attackers fit collect encrypted blockchain data now make dem decrypt am when quantum ability don improve. One Google Quantum AI paper for March 2026 estimate say to crack Bitcoin secp256k1 signatures fit need as few as ~1,200 logical qubits—about 20x less resources than earlier estimates. No current quantum computer reach that level, but Project Eleven expect cryptographically relevant “Q-Day” quantum systems between 2030 and 2033. The exposure dey already measurable. Citi and Project Eleven (May 2026) estimate 6.5–6.9 million BTC get public keys exposed on-chain, worth roughly $450–$500 billion for current prices. Public key exposure normally happen when address don spend before (spending dey reveal the key), while never-spent addresses mostly only expose hashed values. Some holdings fit dey dormant, possibly include addresses linked to Satoshi Nakamoto. The article also highlight governance and upgrade friction. Fast, sweeping Bitcoin standard change go need coordinated updates across nodes, miners and wallet providers, plus users must migrate to new address formats. Citi talk say this one slow and more contentious than post-quantum upgrade paths on proof-of-stake networks like Ethereum. For traders, na mainly long-horizon tail risk for Bitcoin, but e fit still affect sentiment and drive rotation to networks wey dem see as faster in post-quantum readiness.