Blockchains Quietly Prepare For Quantum Threat As Bitcoin Debates...

Altcoin blockchains are preparing for long-term quantum risk, while influential Bitcoin voices disagree over how and when it should be addressed.

Quantum computers still cannot break Bitcoin, but several major blockchains are preparing for a future in which they might.

In the past week, Aptos proposed post-quantum signature support as Solana tested quantum-resistant transactions. Meanwhile, parts of the Bitcoin community renewed calls to accelerate work on quantum-safe upgrades.

These developments point to a growing anxiety across crypto. Investors argue that dismissal of quantum risk by influential voices is weighing on Bitcoin’s (BTC) price, which has dropped 24% over the past three months.

While altcoin blockchains are experimenting with post-quantum protections through opt-in upgrades and test networks, Bitcoin remains divided over how publicly and urgently it should address quantum risks.

Ethereum has been clear about why quantum computing is now being treated as an engineering problem rather than a distant hypothetical.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has argued that even a low-probability outcome demands early preparation when the cost of failure is high and the time required to migrate global systems is measured in years.

Citing forecasting models, he has said there is roughly a 20% chance that quantum computers capable of breaking today’s public-key cryptography could emerge before 2030, with a median estimate closer to 2040. Buterin reportedly said no machines exist today that can break Bitcoin or Ethereum, but waiting for certainty is itself risky, as migrating a global network to post-quantum schemes can take years.

That framing has begun to echo across other major blockchains, particularly those that can experiment without reopening foundational debates.

Aptos has proposed adding post-quantum signature support at the account level through an opt-in upgrade that would leave existing accounts untouched. The proposal relies on a hash-based signature scheme and is positioned as future-proofing rather than a reaction to an imminent threat. Users can adopt the new scheme if they choose, without forcing a network-wide migration.

Source: CoinTelegraph