Coinbase CEO Warns Quantum Could Crack Bitcoin Keys in 9 Minutes, Outweighing AI Risk
Updated
Updated · Yahoo Finance · Nov 3
Coinbase CEO Warns Quantum Could Crack Bitcoin Keys in 9 Minutes, Outweighing AI Risk
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Finance · Nov 3
Summary
Brian Armstrong said quantum computing is the bigger long-term threat to crypto security, arguing AI has made “zero progress” in breaking the elliptic-curve signatures used across major blockchains.
Google has estimated a quantum machine could derive Bitcoin private keys from exposed public keys in 9 minutes, creating a path to unauthorized access to funds if the technology scales.
Coinbase has already begun upgrading its custody infrastructure for post-quantum security, while Armstrong said Bitcoin and other blockchain networks still need to adopt quantum-resistant technology.
The warning came on Coinbase’s third-quarter earnings call, where revenue missed expectations, adjusted earnings beat, and the company said prediction markets were among its fastest-growing businesses.