2 hours ago
6
BitGo, one of the longest-running institutional custody providers in crypto, has fully deployed a suite of quantum-risk management tools designed to keep Bitcoin public keys from being exposed on-chain. The rollout, which completed on July 22, introduces four new security controls that work within BitGo’s existing multi-signature wallet framework, requiring no protocol changes and no new tokens.
The central idea is deceptively simple: if a public key has never been revealed on the blockchain, a quantum computer can’t use it as an attack vector. BitGo’s new tooling is built around making that principle practical at institutional scale.
What BitGo actually built
The update centers on four principal controls. The most visible is the Quantum Risk Score, an exposure metric baked directly into the BitGo platform that gives users a real-time read on how much of their holdings sit behind already-exposed public keys.
There’s also a guided workflow that helps users move funds from compromised addresses to fresh ones, reducing the attack surface without requiring deep technical knowledge. On the transaction level, BitGo developed a UTXO selection method that limits public-key exposure during routine sends.
CEO Mike Belshe framed the philosophy behind the update in straightforward terms.
“The safest key is one whose public key has never been revealed on-chain.”
Why public-key exposure matters now
Bitcoin uses public-key cryptography. When you send Bitcoin, your public key gets revealed on the blockchain. Today, deriving the private key from a public key is computationally infeasible for classical computers. But quantum computers could theoretically crack that math.
Data from Glassnode suggests roughly 6 to 7 million BTC currently have exposed public keys on-chain. That’s nearly 30% of Bitcoin’s total supply.
BitGo’s positioning in the custody landscape
BitGo has been in the multi-signature wallet business since 2013, making it one of the oldest institutional-grade custody providers in the industry. The company pioneered the multi-sig approach that requires multiple private keys to authorize a transaction, a model that has become standard for institutional Bitcoin storage.
By working within the existing multi-sig framework, BitGo avoids the friction that comes with asking clients to migrate to entirely new systems. The initial announcement came on July 9, with the full implementation of capabilities landing on July 22.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
English (US) ·