Bitcoin’s Silence and Anxiety in the Face of the Quantum Threat

2026/08/15 10:00

Noriaki Yagi

Bitcoin’s Silence and Anxiety in the Face of the Quantum Threat

Table of Contents

A rift beneath the surface
Facts regarding the "fork" as of August 2026
The Logic of Risk Reallocation and "Confiscation"

A rift beneath the surface

Bitcoin (BTC)—the cornerstone of the crypto-asset market—had maintained an uncanny silence. There had been no changes to consensus rules since the last protocol update, Taproot, in November 2021, marking what could be described as the longest period of "quietude" in Bitcoin's history. Yet, beneath this veneer of calm, intense friction regarding a new paradigm was beginning to surface as open conflict within the depths of the protocol.

For Bitcoin, a system that has long held "immutability" as a supreme value, the update proposals currently under debate are challenging the boundaries between technology and the social contract.

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PROFILE

Noriaki Yagi

Editor-in-chief,Iolite

While still at university, I launched a restaurant consulting business and a staffing service for the amusement sector, drawing on my experience working in the food and beverage industry, and took on the role of representative. At the same time, I began managing social media to establish my personal brand, reaching 10,000 followers within six months. In September 2021, I joined J-CAM Inc., where I worked on YouTube and Twitter operations before being appointed Editor-in-Chief in April 2022. In March 2023, I founded Iolite.

Bitcoin’s Silence and Anxiety in the Face of the Quantum Threat

A rift beneath the surface

Iolite Vol.21

Iolite Vol.21