Bitcoin Developer Says It Is Not Yet Ready for the Quantum Computing Threat

▲ Bitcoin (BTC), quantum computer/ChatGPT-generated image

A core Bitcoin (BTC) developer has warned that the network is still insufficiently prepared for security threats posed by quantum computers, emphasizing the need for technological upgrades.

According to crypto-focused media outlet DL News on Feb. 21 (local time), Bitcoin core developer Luke Dashjr pointed out that the Bitcoin network remains ill-prepared to adopt post-quantum cryptography capable of protecting assets from quantum computing attacks. Dashjr expressed concern that even within the Bitcoin Core development team, quantum threats are not being treated as a high priority and that concrete countermeasures are being delayed. “We are not yet ready for the quantum era,” he said, urging the community to wake up to the issue.

Quantum computers are known to have the potential to instantly break the elliptic curve cryptography that underpins Bitcoin’s security. Experts warn that if quantum computers achieve the capability to forge Bitcoin signatures and steal funds, approximately $650 billion worth of Bitcoin could be put at risk. In particular, older addresses whose owners have not moved their assets for years are likely to become primary targets of quantum attacks, as upgrading them to new cryptographic standards would be difficult.

Dashjr expects that it may take more than a decade before quantum computers pose a tangible threat, but argues that migration efforts must begin now given the massive scale of the Bitcoin network. Because Bitcoin operates in a decentralized structure without a central authority, reaching consensus on new security standards and upgrading actual nodes could take years. He added that if the technological transition is delayed, Bitcoin’s greatest strength—its security—could be fundamentally shaken.

Within the digital asset industry, voices are growing louder that not only Bitcoin but also major blockchain ecosystems such as Ethereum (ETH) must accelerate the adoption of quantum-resistant cryptography. In contrast to global technology companies like Google and Amazon Web Services (AWS), which have already begun adopting post-quantum cryptographic technologies, discussions in the crypto sector are still in the early stages. Various technical alternatives are being debated within the community, including freezing funds in vulnerable addresses or forcibly migrating them to new algorithms.

The Bitcoin development team plans to continue research aimed at overhauling the network’s cryptographic system before quantum threats become a reality. Dashjr’s remarks have served as a wake-up call to an ecosystem that had grown complacent about technological risks, and discussions of security-related soft forks or hard forks are expected to become more active in Bitcoin’s future development roadmap. Having overcome multiple security crises throughout its history, Bitcoin is expected to address this quantum threat as well through technological evolution.

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