Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) raised the idea of freezing Satoshi Nakamoto's dormant Bitcoin and other quantum-vulnerable coins if they remain unmoved after a future network upgrade, during the Galaxy Brains podcast. He framed it as a community question, not a personal plan, and later clarified that reports of him personally freezing Satoshi's address for a year were inaccurate. The debate intensified in March after Google Quantum AI published research suggesting quantum computers could break digital signature cryptography with fewer than 500,000 qubits, posing a direct threat to Bitcoin addresses with exposed public keys. Over a third of all Bitcoin had revealed its public key on-chain by March, leaving them vulnerable. Satoshi's estimated 1.1 million BTC, worth about $70 billion at current prices, are among the most prominent dormant coins. CZ's thinking aligns with BIP-361, a draft proposal that would block sends to vulnerable addresses after a transition period. However, critics argue that forced freezing violates Bitcoin's core principle of no confiscation. CZ warned that doing nothing could be the worst outcome.

Key facts

• CZ suggested freezing Satoshi's and other dormant Bitcoin if unmoved after quantum-resistant upgrade.
• Quantum threat: Google AI says <500K qubits could break Bitcoin signatures in minutes.
• Over 1/3 of Bitcoin has exposed public keys, vulnerable to quantum theft.
• BIP-361 proposes locking vulnerable addresses after transition period.
• Critics say freezing violates Bitcoin's no-confiscation principle.

KeyAudit data perspective