The Bitcoin community is divided over the urgency of upgrading to a quantum-secure network by a projected 2029 deadline. Jan3 founder Samson Mow warns against rushing untested post-quantum solutions, arguing it could expose Bitcoin to current attacks and reduce transaction throughput. This caution follows a Google Quantum AI report suggesting quantum computers capable of breaking blockchain encryption may arrive sooner than previously estimated.
A recent report by Google Quantum AI has intensified debate within the cryptocurrency sector. The report found Bitcoin and most blockchain encryption could be broken by quantum computers requiring far fewer qubits than earlier estimates suggested.
Google urged a post-quantum upgrade by 2029 to prevent nearly 7 million BTC from being at risk. This suggests there is less than three years before further quantum advancement threatens the network.
Samson Mow, founder of Jan3, warned against a hurried push for untested solutions. He cautioned that “Solving the QC problem later rather than sooner is the best course of action.”
Mow also criticized Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong‘s call for a ‘sooner’ upgrade. He stated it could expose BTC to attack from current classical computers and massively reduce network throughput.
Grayscale’s head of research, Zach Pandl, reinforced a stance that the threat is not immediate. He noted, “Investors should not fret. In our view, there is no security threat to public blockchains from quantum computers today.”
However, Charles Edwards of Capriole Investment projected that BTC will never reach a new all-time high without migrating to post-quantum security. Others, like cypherpunk Adam Back, maintain that practical quantum computers are still years away.
