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The Bitcoin Office of El Salvador reported that these movements would be an answer to quantum computing developments, which have the potential to break bitcoin’s encryption. Nonetheless, analysts believe that this might be a preparation for a possible sale.
El Salvador to Move Bitcoin to Face Hypothetical Quantum Threats, but Some Anticipate a Selloff
El Salvador has retaken the spotlight due to its recent announcement regarding its bitcoin stash. The National Bitcoin Office (ONBTC) of El Salvador reported on Friday that the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve would be moved into various addresses for security purposes.
The office claims that this move, which will split the over 6,285 BTC held by the country into several addresses containing 500 BTC each, will mitigate the possibility of losses coming from potential developments in quantum computing.
On social media, the office stressed that this would allow the nation to keep its public keys unused, maintaining a higher degree of security. On this, the institution declared:
Once funds are spent from an address, its public keys are revealed and vulnerable. By splitting funds into smaller amounts, the impact of a potential quantum attack is minimized.
Furthermore, it stated that it would offer a public dashboard with each one of these addresses to “maintain transparency without address reuse, enhancing security.”
While experts have stated that bitcoin is secure from quantum attacks, at least for the foreseeable future, El Salvador seems to be preparing for the worst-case scenario with an abundance of caution regarding over $683 million worth of BTC held under state custody.
Nonetheless, the sudden move has spurred concerns from analysts, who believe that there might be something more behind it.
Jacon King, a financial analyst and CEO of Whalewire, believes this might anticipate a possible selloff. King stated that the justification for this move was “laughable, and a terrible lie,” and that the Salvadoran government was preparing an exit from its position.
“Fresh wallets make it cleaner to deal with OTC desks and exchanges, letting them unload in tranches without drawing as much heat,” he assessed, labeling El Salvador’s bitcoin play as a “stunt.”