Galaxy Digital Launches $5 Million Bitcoin Quantum Fund as $461 Billion in BTC Faces Future Risk
Updated
Updated · CoinDesk · Jul 21
Galaxy Digital Launches $5 Million Bitcoin Quantum Fund as $461 Billion in BTC Faces Future Risk
3 articles · Updated · CoinDesk · Jul 21
Summary
$5 million from Galaxy Digital will fund Bitcoin developers building quantum-resistant signature schemes, wallet migration tools and security audits, with applications opening immediately.
6.9 million bitcoin—about $461 billion at current prices—could be exposed if quantum computers eventually crack Bitcoin cryptography, even though researchers say that threat is not yet imminent.
Bitcoin upgrades are being pushed now because shifting to post-quantum cryptography could take years and require coordination across developers, wallets, exchanges and users, likely making it more complex than Taproot.
U.S. policy is also accelerating the issue: Donald Trump recently signed executive orders on building large-scale quantum computing and defending federal systems, while the Commerce Department outlined more than $2 billion for nine quantum firms.
Can Bitcoin's decentralized community act fast enough to prevent a future quantum heist of over $460 billion?
Will the 'defensive downgrade' needed for quantum security cripple Bitcoin with high fees and slow speeds?
$5 Million for Quantum-Proof Bitcoin: Galaxy Digital’s Initiative, BIP-361, and the Coming Migration Deadline
Overview
On July 21, 2026, Galaxy Digital launched a $5 million Quantum Readiness Initiative to address the real and growing threat that quantum computing poses to Bitcoin’s security. This move comes during an 'active warning cycle,' as described by Galaxy Research, where both the risks and the development of countermeasures are accelerating. The urgency is highlighted by recent government actions, including executive orders from President Trump and a federal deadline for post-quantum defense by 2031, as well as NIST’s finalization of post-quantum standards in 2024. Galaxy Digital’s initiative aims to lead the industry in preparing Bitcoin for a quantum future.