Ethereum · Bitcoin · OpenAI · Decrypt
Ethereum Researcher Confirms AI May Break Encryption Before Quantum Does
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Justin Drake has spent years warning that quantum computers could one day crack crypto's cryptography.
Key facts
- He also said wallets holding less than 50 BTC enjoy partial cover from what he called "Satoshi's shield": roughly 20,000 exposed addresses tied to Bitcoin's creator, each holding 50 BTC
- He pointed to a burst of AI-driven math, including 722 results OpenAI published Tuesday, as a sign that long-held assumptions are falling
- Justin Drake has spent years warning that quantum computers could one day crack crypto's cryptography
- The Ethereum Foundation formed a dedicated post-quantum team earlier this year, and co-founder Vitalik Buterin has laid out plans to move the network toward quantum-resistant cryptography
Summary
Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake called on the industry to plan for "bunker mode" by gradually moving funds to addresses whose public keys haven't been exposed. He said ECDSA, the signature scheme behind Bitcoin and Ethereum, could break before Q-Day, in the worst case "in months not years," citing rapid AI-driven math advances. Drake urged holders not to panic or rush, and said he'll push to accelerate Ethereum's shift to hash-based cryptography. "Today I call upon the blockchain industry to calmly begin planning for 'bunker mode,'" Drake wrote on X on Wednesday.