Квантовые компьютеры: Искусственный интеллект в блокчейне против политических разногласий Translation: Quantum Computers: Artificial Intelligence in Blockchain versus Political Disagreements

The primary risk posed by quantum computing to the original cryptocurrency lies in the consensus issue rather than the technology itself, as stated by James Chek, the founder of the analytical service Checkonchain.

According to the expert, network participants are unlikely to reach an agreement on freezing coins on outdated addresses vulnerable to quantum computers. Political disagreements will hinder the community’s ability to respond swiftly to this threat.

Consequently, hackers could compromise long-dormant wallets, leading to a significant amount of bitcoins previously considered lost re-entering the market.

Chek’s comments came in response to the views of Ceteris Paribus, head of research at Delphi Digital, who acknowledged that while implementing quantum resilience is technically feasible, it does not address the fate of older coins. The core issue lies in the secondary nature of technology relative to the social framework of the network.

According to BitBo, 32.4% of the entire Bitcoin supply has remained untouched for over five years, and 16.8% has not been moved for over a decade. It remains uncertain how much of these funds are permanently lost and how much is simply in long-term storage.

In an April interview with Cointelegraph, Blockstream CEO Adam Back stated that the community would need to decide whether to disable old vulnerable addresses or to allow malicious actors to steal funds. Chek believes it is appropriate to allow these coins to «return to circulation.»

In an interview with CNBC, VanEck CEO Jan van Eck stated that despite the risks to encryption and privacy from quantum computing, Bitcoin remains a solid investment currently.

He emphasized that it is crucial for those outside the industry to understand that an active discussion is already taking place within the community concerning the adequacy of the current network protection in light of emerging technologies.

Van Eck highlighted his firm’s pragmatic approach: while they believe in digital gold, they are prepared to «exit» the asset if they determine that its fundamental thesis is compromised.

Notably, in November, analyst Willy Woo proposed a method for protecting Bitcoin from quantum threats.

Later, Back declared that systems capable of breaking the cryptography of the first cryptocurrency would not emerge for another 20 to 40 years.