The quantum computing threat to Bitcoin has been moving from “distant” and “eventually” to “possibly within a planning horizon.” The real question here is, could cryptography timelines compress faster than the industry expects? Analysts and market commentary continues to frame the issue as one of preparedness rather than panic obviously. But it is safe to say that the work to mitigate any Q-day risks need to start right away.
Speaking of which, qLabs is set to launch its token qONE in a week with presale going live on Thursday, 5 February 2026, 2pm UTC. The launch is coming at a time when the quantum threat conversation around Bitcoin has already moved from niche to mainstream. At launch, the qONE token will be deployed on Hyperliquid. The Quantum-Sig Wallet solution will initially be adapted for Ethereum and other EVM-compatible chains, enabling post-quantum security for ERC-20 assets from the outset. In short, qLabs solution is EVM first, with other Layer 1s to follow.
“qLABS technology makes quantum-resistant cryptography compatible with the existing chains. Uniting proprietary zero-knowledge proof engine with NIST-approved post-quantum algorithms, qLABS enables faster and cheaper migration for Layer 1 chains as well as superior level chain performance,” said the qLabs team.
— qLABS (@qlabsofficial) January 29, 2026
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How Vulnerable is Bitcoin? Is the Market Implication Psychological Or Technical?
The Wall Street broker Benchmark analyst Mark Palmer recently said that quantum computing is a real potential vulnerability for Bitcoin. He added that the actual threat is real but distant. Roughly one third of Bitcoin could be considered exposed in some way. So, the worry is not that every BTC is vulnerable, but specific categories of outputs become more attractive targets once an attacker can derive private keys from public keys quickly enough to act before the network confirms a protective move.
In fact, several reports have put the potential at-risk value in the in the hundreds of billions. This is why institutions and ETF issuers have started acknowledging quantum computing as non-zero.
Commenting on this, qLABS said, “We strongly believe that the first step towards fighting the quantum threat is to protect the crypto holders’ assets today and every chain should start from that safe environment. We have it ready.”
Meanwhile, some major chains have already announced a number of initiatives to tackle the challenge of quantum resistance. For example, the Ethereum Foundation just launched a $2M quantum defense team. The new team will focus on practical changes rather than theory. That includes wallet protection, how transactions are signed, and new wallet designs that allow security upgrades without forcing users to start from scratch.
Wondering why BTC is so badly underperforming gold?
It's because of this. Financial Advisors read this kind of research and keep client allocations low or zero because quantum computing is an existential threat.
It's going to be a yoke around BTC's neck until this gets fixed pic.twitter.com/yK2xDYjfU5
— batsoupyum (@batsoupyum) January 20, 2026
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So, What Are the More Immediate Actions?
Even if practical quantum attacks are still not imminent, the planning window is already open. Why? Simply because the cost of being late is asymmetric. Upgrades, migrations and user education cannot be crammed into the final months before a breakthrough.
The broader crypto ecosystem is pursuing a second track that is more immediate: add quantum-resistant protection layers around wallets, smart contracts, and multi-chain assets so users and applications can reduce exposure without waiting for every base layer to upgrade.
“To our knowledge, no viable solutions exist to solve this problem so early. We strongly believe that the first step towards fighting the quantum threat is to protect the crypto holders’ assets today and every chain should start from that safe environment. We have it ready,” said the qLabs team. “This approach is, by the way, similar to what Project Eleven is communicating about with their next technological milestone to be a safety solution on the wallet side.”
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The post Bitcoin’s Quantum Threat Gets Harder To Ignore As “Q-Day” Preparations Ramp Up appeared first on 99Bitcoins.
