Bitcoin’s Quantum Landmines Could Turn a Heist Into the Hacker’s Worst Bet

Bitcoin Core developer Cory Fields has proposed “quantum landmines” to protect vulnerable $BTC holdings from future quantum-computer attackers, introducing the idea on November 4 through the Bitcoin Development Mailing List.

Under the proposal, an owner could hide proof of ownership inside a tiny quantum-safe Bitcoin output. If quantum attacks become capable of compromising older wallets, anyone attempting to move vulnerable coins would need to provide an equal amount of collateral. Both the stolen coins and the collateral could face a waiting period of potentially 30 days.

The owner could then reveal the hidden proof, recover the original $BTC and claim the attacker’s deposit. Fields said attackers should become “wary of stealing coins as they may be secretly guarded by mines.” A hacker who successfully moved 1 BTC could therefore lose the stolen amount and the matching collateral, while the legitimate owner could receive twice the original holdings.

The system would not distinguish between attackers and legitimate owners. Someone holding 10 BTC in an older wallet might need another 10 BTC in quantum-safe funds simply to move it. Dormant holdings, including Satoshi-era coins, could present a separate problem if their private keys are lost and no landmine can be prepared.

Fields also proposed alternative auction mechanisms in which bidders could challenge attackers and claim their deposits. One version would permanently destroy the vulnerable coins. Separately, Binance founder CZ proposed freezing Satoshi’s 1M $BTC if the coins had not moved within 6 months or 12 months, saying: “Why don't we give a timeline say within 6 months or 12 months, if those coins don't move then we're going to lock them” and “So, on the… pic.twitter.com/5TQd3qAyzp — BeInCrypto (@beincrypto) June 20, 2026.”