- Anatoly Yakovenko warned that BTC’s cryptographic security may fail if quantum computing advances by 2030.
- A change to quantum-resistant autographs would require a hard fork, posing technical and community challenges.
- BTC developers like Adam Back and Peter Todd believe the quantum threat remains far and manageable for now.
As quantum computing gets closer to practical use, concerns about its impact on Bitcoin’s security are growing. At the All-In Summit 2025 , Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko raised a significant alarm. He stated that Bitcoin’s current cryptographic foundation may be at risk by the end of the decade. According to Yakovenko, the Bitcoin network must transition to quantum-resistant cryptography or face a potential collapse in security. His comments have sparked fresh debate within the crypto community, especially given the network’s resistance to structural changes.
Quantum Computing Could Break Bitcoin’s Current Security
Yakovenko explained that Bitcoin’s use of the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) leaves it vulnerable. If a quantum computer powerful enough runs Shor’s algorithm, it could break ECDSA. That would allow attackers to forge signatures and access wallets without private keys. Yakovenko estimated a 50% chance this could happen within five years.
He proposed migrating to a quantum-resistant signature scheme to prevent such a breach. However, this process would not be straightforward. It would require a hard fork, which would introduce compatibility issues and demand agreement across the network.
Hard Fork Requirement Sparks Concerns
Adoption of a quantum-safe cryptography system would showcase the Bitcoin network to a hard fork. It would imply rewriting of some of the code of Bitcoin and updating all the nodes. Bitcoin is decentralized and therefore its structure does not allow such changes to be enforced without a large share of the population agreeing to it.
Yakovenko also highlighted the urgency as an expression of the rapid developments in artificial intelligence. According to him, once large tech companies such as Google or Apple roll out quantum-safe cryptographic stacks, Bitcoin must be prepared to follow.
Experts in the Community Push Back
Not everyone shares Yakovenko’s urgency. Blockstream CEO Adam Back downplayed the near-term threat. He said quantum computing is not close to breaking Bitcoin’s cryptography and believes future upgrades would be easy to implement. Peter Todd, a Bitcoin Core contributor, expressed skepticism as well. He noted that current quantum demonstrations are not capable of solving real-world problems. He said the machines available today only handle toy problems and do not yet pose an actual threat.
Luke Dashjr, another developer within the Bitcoin Core community, argued that other threats are more immediate. According to him, spam attacks and developer misconduct are higher priorities for the network right now. The debate continues as the crypto world watches developments in quantum computing closely. While Yakovenko warned of a narrowing window for action, others are not convinced a shift is necessary soon. What remains clear is that a unified plan does not yet exist across the Bitcoin ecosystem .
