Think what you like about the Patoshi data, but Whale Alert are one of the stupidest and click baity organizations in the whole of crypto. They tweet complete trash without doing even the most basic of research or investigation. If you are going to read about the Patoshi data, I suggest you read the original research directly. I wouldn't read a single word associated with Whale Alert.

I wouldn't call it a "short step". Look at things like CPUs, GPUs, or even ASICs, as comparison. It will take years between the first quantum computer which can solve the ECDLP, and the first quantum computer which can solve it in <10 minutes.

Still, I agree it is obviously theft, but I still don't think we should take any steps to prevent it. If coins have been abandoned or lost or the owners are ignoring them, and they end up being stolen, then so be it. The last thing we want is for nodes/miners/devs/the community to unilaterally decide to make some coins unspendable or remove them from circulation.