On-chain analyst Willy Woo shared his views on gold, bitcoin, and quantum risk on social media platform X on Jan. 25, outlining how sovereign buyers, particularly China, appear to be positioning for long-term structural shifts in the global financial system.
He stated:
“IMO fixing BTC’s quantum issue is the single most important thing for BTC development and it’s urgent due to the current scale of buyers.”
Woo framed the issue around the time horizons used by governments and large fiduciary institutions: “I think the excuse of ‘it’s 20 years away’ does not cut it. The investors looking to allocate think in exactly these time horizons. So time to get our ducks in a row.”
He emphasized that sovereign entities tend to plan five to 15 years ahead, which influences how they assess emerging risks. From that perspective, Woo argued that bitcoin’s relatively short history, roughly 17 years, makes it more difficult for institutions to justify exposure compared with assets that have existed for centuries. He also noted that uncertainty around future quantum computing capabilities is evaluated alongside other long-term risks rather than dismissed as speculative or distant.
His comments come as major industry participants increasingly treat so-called “Q-Day,” the point at which quantum computing could threaten existing cryptography, as a strategic priority rather than a distant hypothesis. Coinbase recently established an independent advisory board on quantum computing that includes researchers from Stanford and the University of Texas at Austin to review long-term risks to Bitcoin and Ethereum. The Ethereum Foundation has also formed a dedicated post-quantum team led by Justin Drake and Thomas Coratger, while other networks have pursued parallel efforts, including Algorand’s use of state proofs and Solana’s validation of NIST-approved signature schemes on its testnet.
Read more: A16z Researcher Explains Why Bitcoin and Ethereum Face Different Quantum Risks Than You’ve Been Told
Woo contrasted bitcoin’s position with ongoing sovereign demand for gold, writing: “Where the world is heading into, the world needs BTC for what it was designed for, Gold becomes the fallback that’s in a state of readiness (for 6000 years) and they are buying.” He referenced China specifically as part of a broader group of sovereign buyers accumulating gold with long-duration objectives, rather than short-term trading motives. Addressing nearer-term market conditions, Woo explained:
“But to the question at hand on the shorter term, I’m on the side of a large global macro bear market coming, so yeah, maybe we get a sharp pull back in Gold due to a flight to safety before the safe-haven trade resumes. (See the last one: 2008-2012).”
He concluded by expressing optimism about bitcoin’s longer-term role, stating: “My hope is BTC’s quantum issue resolves quickly to play a part in the macro geopolitics of our time. It was built for this.” While skeptics continue to focus on bitcoin’s volatility and technical uncertainties, supporters point to its fixed supply, decentralized design, and active development as factors that could allow it to evolve alongside traditional safe-haven assets as global reserve strategies continue to adapt.
- Why does Willy Woo say quantum risk matters for bitcoin now?
He argues sovereign investors assess long-dated risks like quantum computing before allocating capital to bitcoin. - How do sovereign investors view gold compared to bitcoin?
Gold is seen as a proven fallback asset with thousands of years of monetary acceptance. - What macro trend does Woo expect in the near term?
He anticipates a large global macro bear market that could temporarily pressure gold. - How could bitcoin and gold coexist in portfolios?
Bitcoin may complement gold as institutions balance fixed supply, resilience, and adaptability.
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