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Bitcoin devs float ‘quantum tripwire’ that triggers coin freeze only if attack is proven

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Bitcoin devs float 'quantum tripwire' that triggers coin freeze only if attack is proven

Bitcoin developers are debating a radical change to how the network would respond to a future quantum computing threat: don’t freeze vulnerable coins unless someone proves the threat is real. But there’s a catch: The proposal assumes the attacker will reveal capability for a bounty instead of maximizing profit through theft.

A proposal published this week by BitMEX Research outlines a “canary” system that would trigger a network-wide restriction on older bitcoin wallets only if a quantum-capable attacker demonstrates it on-chain, replacing earlier plans to impose a pre-scheduled freeze years in advance. At its core, the proposal is a “wait and react” strategy.

It works by placing small number of bitcoin into a special address that only a quantum-capable attacker could unlock, with any spend from that address serving as public proof that the threat has arrived and automatically triggering a network-wide freeze of older wallets.

Bitcoin wallets rely on digital signature schemes that are secure against classical computers but could be broken by advances in quantum computing, and a recent Google research paper lowered estimates for the resources required, with some observers now pointing to the end of the decade as a potential risk window.

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The approach is designed as an alternative to BIP-361, a controversial proposal that would impose the same restrictions on a fixed five-year timeline regardless of whether quantum computers are actually capable of attacking Bitcoin’s blockchain. BIP-361 would phase out vulnerable addresses over several years before invalidating the old signature schemes entirely, leaving any unmigrated coins permanently frozen.

Critics have called that outcome “authoritarian and confiscatory,” arguing it undermines Bitcoin’s core principle that control rests solely with private key holders.

Layered atop the of BitMEX’s detection mechanism is a financial incentive. Users could contribute bitcoin to the address, creating a bounty that rewards the first entity to demonstrate a quantum attack publicly rather than quietly drain vulnerable wallets. Contributors would not need to give up their funds permanently, as the structure allows withdrawals at any time.

The proposal also introduces a “safety window” designed to make stealth attacks harder. Vulnerable coins could still move, but the recipient would be unable to spend them for an extended period, potentially around a year. If the canary is triggered during that window, those coins would be frozen retroactively, increasing the risk to any attacker attempting to quietly extract funds.

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There’s a catch

The canary reduces the risk of disrupting users prematurely, but it rests on an uncomfortable bet that the first entity capable of breaking Bitcoin would claim a bounty rather than execute what could be the largest theft in the network’s history and walkaway with millions of bitcoin.

That bet cuts against the kind of worst-case scenario Bitcoin’s design has always tried to prevent, and the network has historically shown little appetite for undoing such events after the fact. Ethereum’s response to the 2016 DAO hack, a hard fork that reversed the theft and split the network into Ethereum and Ethereum Classic, is the kind of protocol-level intervention Bitcoin’s culture has long resisted.

If the bet fails, Bitcoin risks the worst of both worlds — the catastrophe it was trying to prevent, and the realization that a fixed-timeline defense would have stopped it.

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Crypto World

Ripple taps Kyobo Life to enable real-time government bond settlements in Korea

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Ripple partners with Kyobo Life
Ripple partners with Kyobo Life
  • Partnership cuts bond settlement time from two days to near real-time.
  • Bond settlements will use blockchain to reduce risk and remove intermediaries.
  • Impact expands into payments, liquidity, and treasury systems.

Ripple has partnered with Kyobo Life Insurance, one of South Korea’s largest institutional investors, stepping into government bond settlement.

This move signals a shift in how traditional financial infrastructure is being rebuilt.

Instead of relying on legacy systems that take days to complete transactions, the partnership is focused on bringing government bond settlements onto blockchain rails, where transactions can be executed almost instantly.

At the same time, the price of Ripple’s native token XRP is up 4.1% to $1.41 after stalling below $1.38 for a while following the announcement of the partnership.

A move away from slow settlement systems

Government bond markets are among the most important pillars of any financial system. Yet, the infrastructure behind them has remained largely unchanged for decades.

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Today, settling bond transactions typically takes two days. This delay, often referred to as T+2, creates several inefficiencies.

Capital remains locked during the waiting period, institutions face counterparty risk, and multiple intermediaries are required to complete a single transaction.

The new system being developed in South Korea aims to remove these bottlenecks.

By tokenising government bonds and settling them on-chain, transactions can move from a two-day process to near real-time execution.

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This reduces the need for intermediaries and allows both parties to complete transactions simultaneously, improving trust and transparency.

For large institutional players like Kyobo Life, which manages tens of billions of dollars in assets, even small efficiency gains can translate into significant financial impact.

Building institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure

The backbone of this initiative is Ripple’s custody and settlement technology, designed specifically for regulated financial institutions.

This is not a public, open-ended blockchain experiment. It is a controlled, compliant system built to meet the standards of traditional finance.

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Security, auditability, and regulatory alignment are central to its design.

The idea is simple: replicate the functions of existing financial infrastructure, but do it faster, with fewer layers, and with better visibility.

Kyobo Life’s role in the partnership is equally important. As a major institutional investor, it brings real-world scale to the project.

This is not a theoretical use case. It is a live test of how blockchain can support high-value financial instruments in a regulated environment.

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The project has already progressed beyond early-stage research.

After initial proof-of-concept work in 2025, it has moved into a test environment, where the system is being evaluated under real-world conditions.

By bringing government bond settlement onto blockchain, Ripple and Kyobo Life are laying the groundwork for a more efficient financial system. One where transactions are faster, risks are lower, and capital moves with fewer constraints.

And if it succeeds, it could reshape not just how bonds are settled in Korea, but how financial markets operate more broadly.

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Morgan Stanely Bitcoin ETF overtakes WisdomTree

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Morgan Stanely Bitcoin ETF overtakes WisdomTree

Morgan Stanley’s new spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund has just surpassed the WisdomTree Bitcoin Fund (WBTC) in total net inflows, despite launching just over a week ago. 

The Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust (MSBT) added $19.3 million of investor inflows on Wednesday, bringing its total net inflow to $103 million.

The figure has now passed WisdomTree Bitcoin Fund’s (WBTC) total net inflow of $86 million, which it had been accumulating since launching in January 2024, Farside Investors data shows. 

More asset managers are looking to push into the growing Bitcoin ETF space. On Tuesday, Goldman Sachs, a former crypto critic, filed with the SEC to launch its own Bitcoin-linked ETF. 

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Flow data for the US spot Bitcoin ETFs since March 30. Source: Farside Investors

The Morgan Stanley spot Bitcoin ETF product launched on April 8 at a market-low fee of 0.14%, undercutting the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF (BTC) by one base point. 

It joined 11 other spot Bitcoin ETFs, including BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) — the current market leader with $64.3 billion in net inflows and the Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund at $10.9 billion.

MSBT’s other competitors include Bitcoin ETFs issued by Bitwise, ARK 21Shares and Grayscale.

Continuing momentum could also see Morgan Stanley’s Bitcoin ETF surpass Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin ETF (BTCO), Valkyrie Bitcoin ETF (BRRR) and the Franklin Bitcoin ETF (EZBC), which have accumulated net inflows of $245 million, $326 million and $375 million, respectively. 

The average lifespan of ETFs is shrinking

A Bloomberg report from April 2 found that the average lifespan of ETFs fell from 4.66 years in 2024 to about 3.5 years in 2025.

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Over 40 ETFs have also been liquidated in the first two months of 2026, though none of those include any notable crypto ETFs. 

Related: Bitcoin ETFs could eventually be larger than gold ETFs: Analyst

The ETFs that were liquidated across the first two months of 2026 had an average lifespan of 21 months, half that of the ETFs that were liquidated in 2025.

Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart predicted in December that many crypto exchange-traded products would be liquidated by the end of 2027 due to a lack of demand.

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At the time, over 126 ETP applications were awaiting an outcome from the SEC.

Magazine: Bitcoin will not hit $1M by 2030, says veteran trader Peter Brandt