How Can Digital Assets Defend Against Quantum Computing?
Quantum computing poses a potential long-term credible threat to digital assets because sufficiently advanced quantum machines could break the cryptographic systems that secure many blockchains, particularly those using elliptic curve signatures. While today’s quantum hardware is far from powerful enough to perform such attacks, researchers forecast that large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers could emerge in the mid-2030s or later, at which point vulnerable public keys and reused wallet addresses could be at risk. Some digital assets are more exposed than others depending on how their keys are stored and revealed, while networks with flexible governance and upgrade pathways are better positioned to transition to post-quantum cryptography. Work is already underway to develop and standardise quantum-resistant algorithms, and many ecosystems are exploring phased migration strategies to reduce risks before quantum computing becomes a practical threat.
