BitMEX Research Proposes Bitcoin Recovery Plan For Quantum Threat

TLDR

Table of Contents

BitMEX proposes recovery steps for Bitcoin locked due to quantum threats.
Legacy Bitcoin addresses like P2PKH may face freezing in a soft fork.
Zero-Knowledge Proofs could recover funds without revealing private keys.
Satoshi’s early coins may be saved through pre-quantum hash commitments.

Bitcoin developers and researchers are increasingly focused on protecting the network from potential quantum computer attacks. BitMEX Research has now released a proposed recovery plan to address the risk of vulnerable wallets being permanently frozen.

Mitigating The Impact Of The Quantum Freeze
We examine ways of mitigating the impact of a quantum freeze, by allowing the frozen coins to potentially be recovered in a quantum safe way, such that almost every frozen coin is potentially recoverablehttps://t.co/mKauGpKK41 pic.twitter.com/MIgj1RjIAx
— BitMEX Research (@BitMEXResearch) February 9, 2026

Quantum computing poses a long-term risk to Bitcoin, especially for older address formats such as Pay-to-PubKey (P2PK) and Pay-to-PubKey-Hash (P2PKH), which were widely used in Bitcoin’s early years. These formats expose public keys before spending, making them easier targets for quantum attacks.

The “Quantum Freeze” Risk

To reduce the risk of large-scale Bitcoin theft if quantum computers become capable of breaking cryptographic protections, developers may need to freeze vulnerable coins. This could be done through a “soft fork freeze,” which would prevent spending from insecure legacy addresses.

However, freezing coins also blocks their rightful owners from accessing them. This includes many early wallets, such as those believed to be owned by Bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. According to BitMEX Research, about 8.6% of Bitcoin’s supply is held in vulnerable P2PK addresses.

If developers implement a freeze, these funds would be locked and unusable unless a safe recovery method is introduced.

Recovery Plan and Technical Solutions

BitMEX Research suggests a number of ways that users might recover coins from frozen addresses using quantum-safe methods. One method involves a two-step transaction process. In this method, the user would first send a transaction that contains a hashed version of their private key or seed phrase. After a waiting period, they would then send another transaction that reveals the key.

This would allow the network to confirm the rightful owner, even if the address format was frozen. However, BitMEX admits this method is not very user-friendly and poses risks during the time gap between transactions.

A more advanced solution involves the use of Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs). This would let users prove that they know their private key without revealing it. BitMEX says this method would be more secure and private, but it requires more complex cryptographic tools and support from the network.

Pre-QDay Commitment Proposal

To avoid panic when quantum computing arrives, BitMEX suggests that users take action now. The idea is for users to broadcast a “Pre-QDay Commitment,” which is a hashed version of their private key before any quantum threat materializes.

This commitment would serve as proof of ownership, allowing them to reclaim their coins in a post-quantum world. BitMEX notes that this process must be done before a real threat emerges. Otherwise, attackers could use quantum computers to steal the coins first.

BitMEX Research stated, “Users with vulnerable coins should take proactive steps before quantum computing becomes a real danger.” This highlights the urgency of addressing the issue early.

Satoshi’s Coins and Broader Adoption

Satoshi Nakamoto’s coins are believed to be stored in legacy addresses, meaning they are also at risk. BitMEX’s plan could provide a way to preserve these coins, although doing so would raise debates within the Bitcoin community.

The proposed solutions may also help others with older wallets recover their funds securely. These methods would require cooperation from the wider Bitcoin developer and user base to be implemented in future network upgrades.

BitMEX Research’s recovery plan is one of several emerging proposals in the race to protect Bitcoin from future quantum threats.