Bitcoin developers might permanently freeze Satoshi’s $89 billion stash before quantum computers crack it open.

Bitcoin’s core developers are openly debating whether to permanently freeze Satoshi Nakamoto’s roughly 1,096,358 BTC, a stash worth about $89 billion with BTC trading near $80,015, before quantum computers can crack the legacy addresses holding it. The catalyst: Google Quantum AI research published in early 2026 suggests a 500,000-qubit machine could break Bitcoin’s signature scheme, ... Bitcoin developers might permanently freeze Satoshi’s $89 billion stash before quantum computers crack it ope