Satoshi’s 1.1M bitcoin and millions more can be saved from quantum attack, says expert
AmericanFortress researchers introduced a patent-pending post-quantum signature scheme that could secure the global crypto ecosystem against future quantum attacks without requiring mass fund migrations. According to the company, the breakthrough means even Satoshi Nakamotos huge 1.1 million bitcoin stash, alongside nearly 5 million BTC in dormant accounts, can be saved, with a combined value of about $400 billion. In an interview with CoinDesk, Michal Pospieszalski, CEO of AmericanFortress, explained that inactive and dormant wallets do not have to remain vulnerable to unscrupulous hackers, who could sweep up the loot and dump it onto the market with incalculable consequences. However, Pospieszalski said a major point of confusion is the older bitcoin. Because Satoshi-era wallets are “Pre-BIP32” addresses with no seed phrase derivation and therefore cannot automatically be upgraded like the newer created wallets. Instead, the AmericanFortress protocol would execute a defensive freeze via a backward-compatible soft fork. “Our quantum-resistant protocol would automatically freeze and protect those funds until governance decides what to do with them after Q-day,” Pospieszalski said, noting the community would eventually have to vote to move, burn, or redistribute the frozen assets. “But this means even Satoshi wallets can be protected with a minor BIP, which we are working on,” Pospieszalski said. “This