Nearly 25% of Bitcoin are exposed to the quantum breaking threat...  And I agree that something should be done before the exposed public key Bitcoin are hacked. But we need clear communication, recovery options, and community consensus. There is still plenty of time to figure this out.

Quantum computing is not progressing so fast that we need to implement panic-driven decisions.

I think freezing should be seen as a last option since it could do irreversible damage without a well-thought-out recovery path. Also, what if we made legacy addresses slower or more expensive to use as a first step towards pushing people out of the outdated addresses?

Consensus shouldn't just come from core dev FUD, otherwise this is just going to create a dangerous precident and make Bitcoin more centralized.

Does a proposal like this indicate that these concerns are real?
Isn't it impossible to freeze quantum computing development, as programs are spread across multiple countries and have been underway for a long time? Rather than freezing the program, perhaps it's time to adapt.

If QC can hack bitcoin, then it could hack anything including every altcoin, every banking account in existence,
every email, the nuclear launch codes, etc. This would trigger worldwide panic and lead to global economic collapse.

I doubt the developers of QC including Google, Microsoft, IBM, Intel, etc would allow that to happen.
So I don't think  they would be selling an advanced quantum computer to just anyone. It would be like selling a nuclear bomb
to anyone who wants one. Because like nukes a QC could very easily be used as a weapon of mass destruction in the wrong hands.

So the QC companies will probably be working with industry and governments to quantum-proof
their systems and networks beforehand. These quantum-proof security measures will likely be open-source
and made widely and publicly available long before advanced QC is ever released on the market.

When that happens then you know the technology has matured enough to be a real threat, but the security
against it will also be made widely available, to prevent nefarious uses. So to me it's just a lot of needless fearmongering.

Yes, a better title would be "Bitcoin developers float proposal to freeze quantum-vulnerable legacy addresses".


This says to me that we are still 5 years away from quantum technology becoming a threat to legacy addresses (otherwise, why allow 5 years to move coins, and not freeze them now and add the recovery option if the threat is already here?).

The quantum topic is almost always misinformation about something that is portrayed as here and now, though is still years away (if ever possible). I suppose the bright side of this proposal is that it insinuates that the threat is still at least 5 years away.

It never hurts to be prepared and the best way to protect yourself against a seeming threat is to be one or more step ahead of it, Bitcoin devs are having some good preparations to implement something against the advent of quantum computers and the fact that they are coming necessitates some real good preparations for it. BIP 360 like is proposed, from theory can be a fairly good fit, although I am yet to see a proper breakdown on the way it tends to achieve that. I believe there is everything right in being prepared for the threat since it can happen faster than speculated.

The answer to your question is quite simple. Quantum computing is an effective way to spread fear, uncertainty and doubt about Bitcoin, since quantum computing is a theoretical future threat that can be portrayed as a current one. It scares new investors from entering the market, and maybe even scares people into thinking the sky is about to fall, causing them to sell their btc and doubt its future. It is becoming more and more effective with time as technology evolves at a rate that people can't understand, especially now that we are in an era where evolving AI exists as well.

Why do they not think about consequences on less evolved systems? I think that because to most, Bitcoin is not a necessity, and to those that believe the quantum threat, it's an excuse to doubt Bitcoin's future. For what they perceive as necessities (like banking or online accounts), there is no choice but to trust and not to fear any consequences (until of course, it's too late and there is a need to look at alternatives).

I think the reality of the quantum threat is that it will effect traditional systems before it effects Bitcoin, and may even be a catalyst for even further adoption if something ever were to happen.

It is also true that it's entirely theoretical for now. Anyone saying it's a current threat is either uninformed or has ulterior motivations.

Some reports state that Quantum Computing could be a threat in less than five years. Bitcoin holders should just transfer from old legacy wallets to other modern ones or their wallets will be frozen. I just hope there will be a recovery process after this freeze. I support any move that will make the Bitcoin system safe and protected from all attacks. I also think that this issue about QC is overemphasised by some people to promote fud for their personal benefits. After all other sectors like the banks,  aviation, etc, are more at risk.