The message: digital assets are not under immediate threat today, but the industry should start preparing now. A sufficiently powerful quantum computer could one day break the digital signature schemes that protect ownership across major blockchains. Expert timelines point to at least a decade before such a machine is likely to exist, although a significantly shorter timeline cannot be ruled out. Upgrading a decentralised ecosystem will take years on its own, which is why the board argues preparation must begin now, not when the threat becomes urgent.
Why is quantum computing relevant for crypto?
Most blockchain systems rely on cryptography to prove ownership, validate transactions, and protect network integrity. Quantum computing could eventually challenge some of those cryptographic foundations.
The risk is not that blockchains suddenly stop working. The concern is more specific: a future, large-scale quantum computer could break certain public-key cryptography systems that are used to generate and verify digital signatures.
Those signatures are what prove that someone has the right to move assets from a wallet. That makes wallet-level security one of the most important areas to watch.
What is at risk, and what is not
The position paper makes an important distinction: not all parts of crypto are equally exposed.
According to Coinbase’s summary, Bitcoin’s core infrastructure is largely safe. Mining, hash functions, and the historical record of the chain are not considered meaningfully threatened by quantum computing. The more relevant vulnerability is at wallet level, especially where certain key information is already visible on-chain. For Bitcoin, the paper estimates that around 6.9 million BTC fall into this more exposed category.
Proof-of-stake chains face additional considerations because validators also rely on signature schemes to secure the network. Ethereum has separately published a roadmap targeting approximately 2029 for completion of core post-quantum infrastructure.
The solutions are known, but deployment is hard
Quantum-resistant cryptography is not a new field. Researchers have been developing alternatives for more than two decades, and several post-quantum cryptographic schemes have already been standardised by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology.
The challenge is implementation. Quantum-safe signatures are often much larger than today’s signatures, which can affect transaction speed, storage, and cost. For blockchains, this is not just a technical upgrade. It is also a coordination challenge.
Millions of users, wallets, exchanges, hardware providers, and protocols would need to move together. In decentralised systems, no single organisation can simply push an update and declare the transition complete.
Different blockchains are moving at different speeds
The paper reviews how major blockchain ecosystems are preparing for the quantum transition.
Bitcoin is exploring new address formats that better protect keys, although the community has not yet committed to a full migration plan. Ethereum has published a more detailed roadmap, with the possibility that the transition could also improve scalability. Other networks, including Solana, Algorand, and Aptos, have started offering or planning quantum-resistant options for users. Layer 2 networks such as Optimism have also announced transition plans with specific deadlines.
This variation is important. It shows that quantum preparedness will not happen uniformly across the crypto ecosystem. Some networks may move faster, while others may need more time to reach consensus.
The unresolved question of inactive wallets
One of the hardest questions is what happens to wallets that never upgrade.
Lost keys, inactive accounts, and abandoned wallets mean some assets may remain exposed even if new quantum-safe standards are available. Blockchain communities will need to decide whether those assets should be frozen, revoked, moved, or left vulnerable.
Each option has consequences for users, markets, and trust. The advisory board recommends that these decisions be made and communicated publicly as early as possible.
A call for ecosystem coordination
Coinbase says it established the advisory board to ensure its security strategy is driven by science rather than headlines. The company also states that it is building systems that can adopt new cryptographic standards quickly, while working with hardware, infrastructure, developer, and industry partners on upgrade readiness.
That message goes beyond crypto. It reflects a broader truth about the quantum shift: preparation will require coordination across technology, policy, business, and society.
Preparing before the threat arrives
The key insight from the paper is simple: crypto is safe today, but the migration to quantum-safe systems will take time.
That makes this a development worth watching. It shows how quantum computing is already influencing strategic decisions in sectors far beyond the lab, even before large-scale fault-tolerant machines exist.
As quantum technologies continue to advance, the organisations and ecosystems that prepare early will be better placed to turn uncertainty into resilience.
Read on
View the Ethereum future proofing roadmap
