CZ: If Satoshi's address remains inactive after the Bitcoin quantum upgrade, the related BTC should be frozen

On June 20th, Binance founder CZ (Changpeng Zhao) joined the Galaxy Brains podcast for an interview with Galaxy Research head Alex Thorn, covering key topics like quantum computing risks to Bitcoin and Satoshi Nakamoto’s undisclosed BTC holdings. CZ stated quantum computing isn’t an unsolvable problem for Bitcoin, citing existing post-quantum cryptographic algorithms—though he emphasized community-coordinated upgrades are critical to addressing the issue. Regarding BTC linked to Satoshi Nakamoto, CZ labeled "doing nothing" a poor choice. His proposal: If Bitcoin forks to a new cryptographic scheme in the future, the community could offer a 6 to 12-month transition window. Should those Satoshi-linked coins stay untouched, the new protocol should freeze the associated addresses, taking roughly 1 million BTC out of circulation. He warned inaction would eventually let anyone with a functional quantum computer crack those addresses and seize the funds—an unfair distribution outcome. The final call on handling Satoshi’s BTC should come from community voting, using a Bitcoin-specific signaling mechanism to reflect consensus. For inactive Satoshi-related addresses, his suggestion remains freezing them in the new protocol and removing the linked BTC from circulation.