El Salvador moved its national Bitcoin stash into multiple wallets on Friday as a hedge against a future cryptographic threat, according to official posts and blockchain records.
The country transferred 6,274 BTC — roughly $678 million at current prices — out of a single address and into 14 separate addresses, with each new address holding up to 500 BTC.
Split Wallets To Limit Exposure
Based on reports from the Bitcoin Office, the move was meant to reduce the impact of any future quantum breakthrough.
Officials said the shift was a simple, defensive step. Once funds are spent from a Bitcoin address, the address’s public key becomes visible on the blockchain.
That public key, people warn, would be the target if quantum machines ever reached the ability to solve elliptic curve cryptography.
El Salvador is moving the funds from a single Bitcoin address into multiple new, unused addresses as part of a strategic initiative to enhance the security and long-term custody of the National Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. This action aligns with best practices in Bitcoin…
— The Bitcoin Office (@bitcoinofficesv) August 29, 2025
According to Project Eleven, 6 million Bitcoin — worth around $650 billion — could be exposed if such a capability ever arrived.
The math behind the concern is clear: Bitcoin private keys use 256-bit values, and current quantum systems running Shor’s algorithm have not even cracked a three-bit key.
Quantum Risk Is Largely Theoretical
Experts say practical quantum attacks on Bitcoin are not imminent. Project Eleven and other researchers emphasize that the threat remains theoretical for now.
No public quantum computer has demonstrated the power needed to threaten modern cryptography.
El Salvador moves Bitcoin into 14 separate addresses. Source: Mempool.space
Michael Saylor commented in June that warnings about quantum attacks are overblown and that if a real threat appeared, upgrades to Bitcoin software and the hardware ecosystem would be implemented.
The argument follows a simple logic: software and hardware can be changed; cryptography can be upgraded. That does not make the risk zero. It only puts the danger far down the timeline for most observers.
The technical point driving this action is straightforward. When coins leave an address, the blockchain reveals the public key connected to the private key used to sign that transaction.
If a powerful enough quantum computer later appears, that public key could, in theory, be used to derive the private key and drain the address.
By spreading funds across 14 addresses, El Salvador reduces the maximum amount exposed if any single wallet is compromised after spending.
Image: Utimaco
What This Means For Other Holders
Custodians and large holders may take notice of low-cost steps. The move is small in operational cost but large in symbolism.
Other governments, exchanges, and big holders keep watching cryptography advances; splitting large holdings is one straightforward technique they can use without changing how Bitcoin itself works.
Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
