Nine Crypto Firms Form Quantum Alliance as 30.2% of Bitcoin (BTC) Supply Has Exposed Keys

Nine crypto firms have formed the Quantum Alliance to develop shared security standards for blockchain networks, as the group estimates exposed public keys are tied to 6.04 million Bitcoin (BTC), or 30.2% of the total supply.

The estimate describes potential exposure, not coins that can be taken with today’s computers. Current quantum computers cannot derive the private keys needed to spend coins linked to exposed public keys.

The alliance plans to develop security tests and migration guidance for Bitcoin, Ethereum and other networks. Members include Hacken, Midnight Foundation, Quantus and Postquant Labs.

The scale of the risk depends in part on where public keys appear. Ledger CTO Charles Guillemet has disputed whether the on-chain figure captures all quantum exposure, saying public keys may also exist in devices, partially signed transactions, logs and backups.

Postquant Labs CTO Richard Carback sees 2028 as a possible arrival point for a computer capable of breaking current cryptography and favors moving vulnerable BTC rather than freezing it. The Vault CRO Bryn Bennett said a freeze decision should be left to Bitcoin network governance.