- Solana founder Anatoly Yakovenko warns there is a 50% chance of a quantum computing breakthrough in the next five years.
- Yakovenko claims that Bitcoin needs to migrate to quantum-resistant cryptography now.
Solana founder, Anatoly Yakovenko, has warned about the threat of quantum computing to Bitcoin. Yakovenko showed up at All-In Summit 2025 to encourage the crypto community to move fast when preparing to face what he sees as a potential technological change that may happen soon.
The Solana developer puts the odds at 50% that a quantum breakthrough will happen in the next five years. The fast pace of artificial intelligence development increases this timeframe. Yakavenko emphasized the urgency of the matter, saying that Bitcoin needs to shift to quantum-resistant cryptography as soon as possible.
The quantum computing revolution is both a major threat and an opportunity never experienced by the cryptocurrency industry. Although the technology endangers the existing cryptographic security, it is also capable of creating colossal computational capability, potentially supporting significant wealth creation.
Bitcoin Faces Critical Migration Timeline
Yakovenko stressed that preparation cannot wait for quantum computers to arrive. The process of migration involves a lot of coordination of the Bitcoin network. This shift will entail the revision of the underlying cryptographic protocols on which the largest cryptocurrency in the world is secured.
The Solana creator drew comparisons between the potential and scale of quantum computing and the artificial intelligence boom. He pointed to quantum computing as a disruptive technology that would open up the processing possibilities that are currently constrained. The potential wealth creation by this technological advancement would be akin to the recent advances in AI.
The present cryptographic basis of Bitcoin is based on mathematical challenges that can probably be solved by quantum computers. Traditional computers would need thousands of years to crack these encryption techniques. The same task would require quantum machines a much smaller amount of time to complete.
A shift towards quantum-resistant algorithms is technically challenging for the Bitcoin network. The developers have to enforce new cryptography systems without compromising the network stability. This transition involves wide agreement and support from miners, developers, and users.
Industry Leaders Divided on Quantum Threat Assessment
The cryptocurrency market has been divided on the prospects of quantum computing and the risks. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin cautions that quantum computers could break current cryptography by 2040. Buterin estimates that this will happen before 2030 with a 20% likelihood.
Complexity is a big cost and easy to underrate.
And for most use cases to date, the privacy property has not been needed.
Though I expect this will change soon; at the very least, quantum will require us to switch to STARK proving even for client-side privacy apps. Though even…
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) August 27, 2025
Tether CEO, Paolo Ardoino, believes that Bitcoin will adopt quantum-resistant addresses. Such new forms of addresses would enable the users to secure their holdings before quantum threats become a reality. Such a method offers a security level without changing the existing systems.
Michael Saylor of Strategy is less tolerant of quantum threats. He explains that quantum attack fears are inferred to be mostly marketing-based fears. Saylor believes that big tech firms would not use quantum computers to threaten Bitcoin, as it would pose systemic risks.
A Bitcoin developer, Adam Back, gives a more balanced viewpoint on the quantum timeline. He acknowledges that current quantum computers pose no immediate threat to Bitcoin’s security. Back, however, cautions that quantum capabilities will be dangerous in less than 20 years.
