Bitcoin developer warns of quantum threat from intelligence agencies - ForkLog: cryptocurrencies, AI, singularity, the future

# Bitcoin Developer Warns of Quantum Threat from Intelligence Agencies

The first cryptocurrency is unprepared for a future where government agencies, using ultra-fast quantum computers, could break its cryptography. This opinion was shared by developer Hunter Bist at the ETHDenver conference.

“Today, we are completely unprepared for the consequences. It’s a multidimensional problem, and you only realize its true scale when you start to really dive into it,” he said.

According to Bist, the main players in the race are not tech giants but “spies”—the NSA and the Chinese military. Quantum computers costing billions of dollars are useful not only for stealing Bitcoin. They can crack RSA— a widely used encryption standard— providing access to classified data of other countries.

The problem is that the new technology is not yet capable of solving practical tasks, which makes it difficult to convince many developers of the seriousness of the threat, the expert emphasized.

In December, one of Bitcoin Core’s key contributors, Luke Dash Jr., stated:

“The quantum threat is unrealistic. Bitcoin has much more serious problems.”

Predictions and Actions

Other experts share a similar opinion. For example, Adam Back, co-founder of Blockstream and a cypherpunk, believes concerns about quantum computing are exaggerated. In his view, it will take about 20-40 years before such powerful computers appear.

The expert also did not rule out that such technologies might never actually materialize.

Analyst Willy Wu believes the threat will become relevant no earlier than 2030. By then, developers may have implemented standards for quantum-resistant encryption, he noted.

Some disagree with this perspective. Previously, Castle Island Ventures partner Nick Carter criticized developers for ignoring the quantum computing threat. He also stated:

“I think developers will continue to do nothing. […] Institutional investors will get tired of this, fire the team, and hire a new one.”

Craig Worrke, an employee at the Bitcoin Policy Institute, agrees. He believes that any attempts to convince people that there is no risk at all will inevitably fail: explanations will be too complex, and society trusts quantum physicists more than Bitcoin developers.

However, the industry is not standing still. In July, Casa’s CTO, Jameson Lopp, proposed creating a separate BIP, based on an existing initiative—BIP 360. It involves implementing a new type of addresses that use post-quantum cryptography.

In February, BIP 360 was incorporated into Bitcoin’s codebase. Developers are currently actively working on this proposal.

🚨 BITCOIN QUANTUM UPDATE:

Developers advanced BIP-360, laying groundwork for post-quantum protection.

The proposal removes a Taproot key-path feature that could expose public keys to future quantum attacks.

Not activated yet but the defense planning has begun.

Bitcoin is… pic.twitter.com/qEXapNeFZT

— Merlijn The Trader (@MerlijnTrader) February 16, 2026

Remember, in January, BTQ launched a quantum-resistant testnet for the first cryptocurrency.