Paolo Ardoino, Tether’s CEO, claims that quantum computing, even when strong enough, won’t crash Bitcoin’s cryptographic system but instead raid lost wallets and put forgotten Bitcoins back into circulation.
In a post on X today, Paolo dismissed the looming panic around quantum threats to crypto, saying that quantum-resistant addresses would be added to Bitcoin before any real risk surfaces.
But here’s the twist: “All people alive and with wallet access will move their Bitcoin to safe addresses,” Paolo said. “But if Satoshi isn’t alive, his coins will be hacked and put back in play. Nothing changes the 21 million cap, not even quantum computing.”
The race to break encryption before Bitcoin adapts
As of early 2025, quantum computing is racing ahead faster than ever, and key players like Microsoft, PsiQuantum, and DARPA (yes, the US defense agency) are leading the charge. DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) plans to develop quantum machines that deliver real, industrial use by 2033.
In its final phase, the project chose Microsoft and PsiQuantum to scale the next wave of quantum computing technology. Microsoft’s focus is reportedly superconducting topological qubits, a new approach that’s supposed to cut down on errors. PsiQuantum is using silicon-based photonics, betting on photons instead of electrons to drive computations.
So why should Bitcoin holders care? Well recent breakthroughs, like the scalable quantum teleportation demonstrated by the University of Oxford, show that massive distributed quantum networks are within reach. Oxford researchers proved that they could entangle particles and transmit data across optical networks without moving physical objects.
Today’s quantum computers are notoriously “noisy,” meaning their calculations are often riddled with errors. But with ongoing experiments involving logical qubits (designed to correct errors automatically), developers are optimistic that quantum machines will eventually deliver on their promise of unimaginable computing power.
Quantum computing threatens Bitcoin because its cryptographic system, specifically ECDSA, is based on complex mathematical problems that current computers can’t solve. Quantum machines, on the other hand, could solve these problems easily once they hit sufficient scale.
That’s where quantum-resistant addresses come in. Developers are already testing cryptographic upgrades to protect active Bitcoin wallets. But not every wallet will be safe, and that was Paolo’s point.
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