- New Bitcoin upgrade proposal splits opinions. - Developers say freezing Bitcoin in vulnerable wallets is necessary to defend against a potential quantum attack. - A future quantum computer could threaten the $1.5 trillion blockchain. Satoshi Nakamoto is one of the richest people in the world, but a new proposal risks locking away the Bitcoin founder’s trove forever. A group of six Bitcoin developers and quantum computer experts have proposed permanently deactivating vulnerable wallets in a bid to protect the network from future quantum attacks. The proposal, published on Tuesday, would upgrade the blockchain to stop users from sending Bitcoin to vulnerable wallets, and eventually reject any transaction from those wallets at a predetermined point in the future. Bitcoin left in vulnerable wallets at that time would become permanently locked away, although the developers say measures could be put in place to allow owners to recover their coins. Many Bitcoin proponents have already slammed the proposal. They say it is authoritarian, punishes long-term holders, and goes against Bitcoin’s core values as a neutral and immutable asset. “I know folks don't like it. I don't like it myself. I wrote it because I like the alternative even less,” said Jameson Lopp, a prominent Bitcoin developer and one of the proposal’s authors. “I hope it never needs to be considered for adoption.” The move comes amid fears that the development of superfast computers that make use of quantum phenomena is accelerating. Such a computer could theoretically break the encryption that underpins not just Bitcoin but much of the encryption that digital infrastructure is built around, too. A June report from consulting firm McKinsey & Company predicts that based on the current rate of development, a cryptographically-relevant quantum computer could be developed as early as next year. Bitcoin honeypot For most Bitcoin users,