Основатель Solana: Квантовая угроза для биткоина требует немедленных действий Translation: Founder of Solana: Quantum Threat to Bitcoin Demands Immediate Action

The community needs to expedite the implementation of measures to safeguard the first cryptocurrency against quantum threats, as advancements in computing may exceed expectations. This was stated by Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder of Solana.

During the All-In Summit 2025 podcast, he expressed that he believes there’s a 50% likelihood of a significant breakthrough in this area within the next five years.

«We must transition Bitcoin to a quantum-resistant signature system. That’s my wager, as there is currently a convergence of numerous technologies happening. The asymptotic pace of AI and how swiftly it advances from research papers to real-world applications is simply astonishing,» Yakovenko noted.

In his view, the first major signal for the migration of digital gold’s architecture will be the adoption of quantum-resistant cryptography by tech giants.

«So, keep an eye on what Google is doing,» he remarked.

Warning about long-term threats, Yakovenko emphasized Bitcoin’s resilience to current risks.

He expressed confidence that the potential collapse of companies holding Bitcoin treasuries, like Strategy, will cause market turmoil, but will not be able to destroy the asset itself due to its decentralized nature.

«I believe that as long as there is open global competition for acquiring Bitcoins, and until we find ourselves in some regulatory nightmare like in the 1970s when gold was illegal to purchase, Bitcoin will survive such disturbances,» Yakovenko declared.

The Solana co-founder also praised the Proof-of-Work consensus algorithm as a reliable defense for digital gold against coordinated attacks and large-scale hacks.

«The beauty of it is that it is the simplest protocol to build as it focuses solely on settlements. It’s very easy to understand from an engineering perspective, and PoW is a masterpiece in terms of elegance and simplicity,» he added.

In December 2024, Google Quantum AI specialists presented the Willow chip, which has caught the attention of the crypto community as a potential quantum threat to Bitcoin.

Experts are divided in their opinions. Some pointed out that mathematically, the risk of hacking the first cryptocurrency appears extremely distant. Charles Edwards, founder of Capriole Fund, countered the optimists by stating that they do not account for technological advancements following an exponential trajectory. He cited the field of AI as an example.

A similar viewpoint was shared by Pierre-Luc Daller-Demers, a scholar from the University of Calgary, who estimated that it would take about five years before commercial quantum computers could breach Bitcoin wallet protections.

Regardless of the timelines, the community is beginning to discuss implications for assets stored at vulnerable addresses. This includes lost coins, including approximately 1 million BTC likely belonging to Satoshi Nakamoto. In the long term, all these Bitcoins could be hacked and returned to circulation, according to Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino.

Casa co-founder Jameson Lopp expressed opposition to the recovery of lost coins through quantum computing and suggested they be proactively burned.

Moreover, Chaincode Labs experts estimate that potentially 20% to 50% of all circulating Bitcoins (4-10 million BTC) are at risk of being hacked.

Developers are exploring various approaches to protect the first cryptocurrency from quantum threats.

It’s worth noting that analysts from Mysten Labs concluded that the Solana blockchain is more resilient to such risks than Bitcoin and Ethereum.