Saylor Brushes Off Quantum Fears, Says Bitcoin Can Adapt

Strategy Executive Chairman, Michael Saylor, believes there’s at least ten years before quantum computers could potentially break Bitcoin’s cryptography and there’s currently no imminent quantum threat.

Speaking on the Coin Stories podcast, Saylor said that his position is based on what he claims is the consensus among cybersecurity experts that any real quantum threat is at least a decade away.

Saylor also said if or when the quantum threat arises, it’ll impact all kinds of digital systems dependent on current cryptography — such as banks, government systems and AI networks —not just Bitcoin. But he thinks Bitcoin will likely be much more well-placed to deal with the threat.

He claimed that the crypto industry is the “most sophisticated cybersecurity community,” adding that because of its focus on advanced security, cryptocurrency networks are likely to be leaders in adopting post-quantum cryptographic standards if or when the quantum threat emerges.

I think the crypto community will be the first to perceive the threat, and to react to the threat, and they’ll be leading the way.

Michael Saylor, Strategy Executive Chairman

The Strategy Executive Chairman said he doesn’t think a coordinated effort will be put into dealing with any potential quantum threat until it becomes clear that the threat is imminent, which will galvanise the entire world to act quickly.

Work on developing post-quantum cryptographic standards has been ongoing for several years. Since 2016, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been running a kind of contest for cryptography researchers to develop new post-quantum cryptographic algorithms and in 2022, the organisation chose four winners. 

It’s likely a mix of these four winners, known as CRYSTALS-Kyber, CRYSTALS-Dilithium, FALCON and SPHINCS+, will eventually be used by many computer systems to replace the quantum-vulnerable elliptic curve cryptography currently used.

In 2024, NIST released three new post-quantum cryptography standards based on these algorithms, which are now ready to be implemented in real-world systems.

“Quantum computing technology could become a force for solving many of society’s most intractable problems, and the new standards represent NIST’s commitment to ensuring it will not simultaneously disrupt our security,” NIST Director Laurie E. Locascio said at the time of the announcement. 

“These finalized standards are the capstone of NIST’s efforts to safeguard our confidential electronic information.”

Related: Saylor Warns ‘Ambitious Opportunists’ Are Bitcoin’s Biggest Risk, Sparking Ossification Debate

Not Everyone Agrees Quantum Threat is at Least a Decade Away

While Saylor seems convinced the quantum threat is still many years away, not everyone agrees. 

A 2025 survey of more than 2,600 global IT risk management and cybersecurity professionals by ISACA found that 62% are worried about quantum computing breaking current internet encryption before new NIST-approved algorithms are fully implemented.

Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, appears to believe the threat could arrive much sooner and Ethereum is already preparing to make the move to post-quantum cryptography.

Last week, the Ethereum Foundation (EF) updated its 2026 security roadmap to include post-quantum preparedness and in January security researcher at the EF, Justin Drake, announced the establishment of a dedicated Post-Quantum team, describing it as “an inflection in the Ethereum Foundation’s long-term quantum strategy.”

Related: Vitalik Buterin Warns Prediction Markets Risk Becoming ‘Cursed’ by Retail Gambling Frenzy

Speaking at last year’s Devconnect conference in Buenos Aires, Buterin warned that elliptic curve cryptography could be broken as soon as 2028 and encouraged others to transition to post-quantum cryptography by at least 2030.