The quantum threat looms over Bitcoin. It is still distant, but real enough for experts to sound the alarm. Adam Back, one of the most respected figures in the crypto ecosystem, believes that it is time to act, cautiously, but without delay.
In brief
- Adam Back says Bitcoin needs to prepare for the quantum threat now, even if it is decades away.
- He advocates optional upgrades to quantum-resistant cryptography.
- Google claims a quantum computer could break Bitcoin's encryption in nine minutes.
- Caltech researchers estimate that such a computer could be operational before 2030.
Adam Back recommends gradual preparation of Bitcoin for quantum
It was from the stage of Paris Blockchain Week last Tuesday that Adam Back, CEO of Blockstream and one of the spiritual fathers of Bitcoin, sent a clear message to the crypto community.
For him, quantum computing not yet an immediate threatbut remaining passive would be a strategic error.
“ Current systems are essentially laboratory experiments. I have been following this field for over 25 years and progress has been slow “, he said.
Despite this nuanced observation, Back is categorical on one point: Bitcoin must anticipate now. Its approach is intended to be pragmatic and progressive. It recommends the implementation of optional upgrades, capable of allowing, when the time comes, a transition to cryptography resistant to quantum attacks.
“ Preparation is essential. Making changes in a controlled manner is much safer than reacting in the middle of a crisis “, he insisted.
At Blockstream, this reflection goes well beyond the speech stage. His company has already built a team dedicated to researching quantum threats to Bitcoin. Concretely, this translates into the implementation of hash-based signatures on the Liquid network.
Adam Back also highlighted the role of Taproot, whose architecture could accommodate new signature schemes without disrupting the experience of current users.
A threat that is approaching faster than expected
Adam Back's caution contrasts with increasingly alarming signals coming from the scientific world. Researchers from Google and the California Institute of Technology recently claimed that a working quantum computer could emerge before 2030, with just 10,000 to 20,000 qubits, compared to the millions of units estimated so far.
Even more worrying: Google suggests that such a system could theoretically break Bitcoin's encryption in nine minutes.
In this context, the Bernstein firm confirms, in a note published in early April 2026, that Bitcoin has a window of three to five years to adapt via post-quantum solutions such as key rotation or XMSS-type algorithms.
However, division is taking hold within the community itself. On Tuesday, developer Jameson Lopp and five researchers proposed via BIP-361 to freeze vulnerable bitcoins, including the dormant $81.9 billion attributed to Satoshi Nakamoto.
The reaction was immediate and virulent. Developer Mark Erhardt called the proposal “authoritarian and confiscatory.” Phil Geiger of Metaplanet summed up the perceived absurdity in one sentence: “ We have to steal people's money to prevent their money from being stolen. »
The lesson is clear: Bitcoin has weathered many storms by anticipating rather than suffering. Faced with quantum, the real risk is not technological, it is political. Achieving consensus before the crisis hits is the real challenge.
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