Solana Co-Founder Urges Bitcoin Community to Prepare for Quantum Computing Threat

According to Cointelegraph, Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko has called on the Bitcoin community to expedite its efforts to safeguard against potential quantum attacks. He emphasized that a significant advancement in quantum computing might occur sooner than anticipated. Speaking at the All-In Summit 2025, Yakovenko expressed a 50/50 chance of a quantum breakthrough within five years, urging the migration of Bitcoin to a quantum-resistant signature scheme. Yakovenko's prediction is rooted in the rapid convergence of various technologies and the swift progression of artificial intelligence from theoretical research to practical implementation. He described this acceleration as astounding and encouraged the community to hasten their protective measures. Cybersecurity experts have echoed concerns that the threat posed by quantum computing could materialize sooner than expected. Quantum computers are anticipated to eventually crack current encryption methods, raising security concerns for blockchain users. Despite this, many Bitcoin advocates believe the threat remains distant. Bitcoin wallets are currently secured using the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA), which relies on the elliptic curve discrete logarithm problem (ECDLP) that classical computers cannot solve. However, quantum computers may overcome this challenge. David Carvalho, founder and chief scientist of Naoris Protocol, warned in June that quantum computers have advanced to the point where they could potentially breach Bitcoin's cryptography in less than five years. Transitioning a blockchain from traditional cryptography to post-quantum security would necessitate a hard fork, a process many crypto communities resist. Despite these warnings, some Bitcoiners are less concerned about the immediate threat. Blockstream CEO Adam Back stated that current quantum computers do not pose a credible threat to Bitcoin's cryptography, although they might in the future. Back estimated that quantum computers could reach such capabilities in approximately 20 years. Similarly, Jan3 founder Samson Mow expressed minimal concern about the threat posed by quantum computing, suggesting that while it is a real risk, the timeline is likely a decade away. Mow believes that other systems will fail before Bitcoin does.