AI Accelerates Quantum Computing Threat, Challenging Crypto’s Security Defenses
Blockchains such as Bitcoin and Ethereum rely on elliptic-curve cryptography to protect private keys. A sufficiently powerful quantum computer using Shor’s algorithm could potentially break public-key cryptography and steal assets. The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released its first post-quantum cryptography standards on August 13, 2024, underscoring that migration is not an issue confined to any single cryptocurrency.
Recent reports cited security experts warning that AI is aiding quantum hardware design, error correction and algorithm research, potentially shortening the time blockchains have to prepare their defenses. There is currently no quantifiable amount of assets at risk or confirmed date by which such systems could be compromised. The industry must begin assessing exposed wallets, testing post-quantum signatures, and planning timelines for hard forks and asset migration.
All Coverage
1 original reportsThe Backstory
The history behind this eventG7 Urges Quantum-Safe Shift as Crypto Industry Tests Defenses
Quantum computers powerful enough to defeat public-key cryptography could eventually undermine the signatures that secure wallets and transactions on networks including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana. The Group of Seven is treating the transition to post-quantum cryptography as a long-term, economy-wide security project, warning that organizations need to inventory vulnerable systems and prepare upgrades before machines capable of practical attacks become available.
The G7’s latest warning says advances in quantum computing require action now, even though no large-scale cryptographically relevant system has been demonstrated. Crypto developers are weighing quantum-resistant signatures, wallet-address migrations and protocol changes across Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana. Any rollout would need to balance security with performance, backward compatibility and decentralized governance, while persuading users to move funds from exposed or legacy addresses. The industry has not established a common implementation timetable.
Crypto Signals Quantum Threat to Global Finance
A quantum computer capable of running Shor’s algorithm at scale could undermine the public-key cryptography securing online banking, cross-border payments, government communications and digital assets. Bitcoin may provide the earliest visible warning because its ledger is public and its assets offer attackers an immediate financial incentive. Experts say the larger obstacle is not the availability of post-quantum algorithms, but whether decentralized networks can coordinate a contentious migration before existing signatures become vulnerable.
The Swiss Bitcoin Institute said in a report published on Sept. 30, 2025, that a cryptographically relevant quantum computer could emerge within 10 to 20 years. Such a machine could put about 6.8 million Bitcoin at risk, worth roughly 600 billion Swiss francs and representing nearly one-third of total supply. The report cited a Hudson Institute estimate that a major quantum-enabled breach could inflict between $2 trillion and $3.3 trillion in indirect losses on the U.S. financial system.
Subscribe to Mark Radar Weekly
Every Friday, the week's strongest signals in your inbox. Unsubscribe anytime.
If you search news on Google, you can set Mark Radar as a preferred source—our coverage will show up more often in your results. Set as preferred source on Google →