Coinbase Urges Bitcoin to Adopt Post-Quantum Security
Coinbase called for the Bitcoin network to implement post-quantum cryptography to prevent future quantum computers from draining digital wallets.
Coinbase urged the Bitcoin network to begin immediate preparations for the threat of quantum computing to prevent the potential theft of digital assets. The exchange warned that a cryptographically relevant quantum computer could derive private keys from public keys, allowing attackers to drain wallets.
Coinbase recommended a staged adoption process using flexible post-quantum signatures to protect institutional and active funds. The company noted that approximately 20,000 addresses holding 50 or more BTC are currently high-risk because their public keys are already exposed. To avoid delaying these security upgrades, Coinbase suggested that the community debate the handling of dormant or lost coins as a separate issue.
While no quantum computer currently capable of breaking Bitcoin's cryptography exists, the exchange argued that work must start now because consensus changes and ecosystem migrations can take years. The proposed roadmap emphasizes maintaining Bitcoin's decentralized nature, though Coinbase acknowledged that larger post-quantum signatures could increase transaction fees or place a heavier burden on node operators.
