Security Experts Alert: AI is Accelerating the Quantum Threat to Cryptocurrency
Researchers and developers contend that artificial intelligence may be hastening the timeline for quantum computing, prompting a comprehensive reevaluation of digital security practices.
What to know:
— AI is fast-tracking the evolution of quantum computing, compelling the crypto sector to brace for a future where current encryption methods, which safeguard blockchains and the wider internet, could become obsolete.
— Security experts warn that the synergy between AI and quantum computing is inciting a new arms race in cybersecurity, necessitating ongoing evolution of crypto networks and internet frameworks to counter swiftly advancing threats.
The crypto realm has long debated whether quantum computing represents a critical danger to blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Now, researchers and developers assert that artificial intelligence might be accelerating this timeline, compelling a more extensive reevaluation of digital security frameworks.
Leaders in post-quantum cryptography and blockchain security have characterized a swiftly shifting environment where AI is emerging as a tool for attackers, a defensive asset for developers, and a catalyst for quantum computing research.
“The security landscape of the future will differ,” stated Alex Pruden, CEO of Project Eleven, a firm dedicated to quantum-resistant infrastructure for crypto.
“Between quantum and AI, we’re entering a realm where security—beyond just crypto—will defy traditional methods,” Pruden noted.
The merging of AI and quantum computing has grown increasingly critical in light of alerts from leading tech companies and researchers indicating that quantum computers capable of breaking cryptography may arrive sooner than anticipated. While opinions vary on the exact timeline for the emergence of a quantum computer capable of compromising modern encryption, many experts believe AI could significantly shorten development timelines.
“AI is undoubtedly being leveraged to speed up quantum computing advancements,” Pruden remarked. Researchers are already utilizing machine learning systems to enhance quantum error correction, a major engineering challenge in the field.
Illia Polosukhin, co-founder of NEAR Protocol and a former AI researcher at Google, mentioned that AI has been accelerating scientific breakthroughs for years.
“AI is increasingly serving as an accelerator,” Polosukhin said. “The pace of research is set to quicken from this point onward, and we’ve already observed advancements that were not expected to materialize so soon.”
Polosukhin recalled his tenure at Google in 2016, when machine learning systems were already employed to discover new materials. “It’s possible that the next generation of quantum computers will be developed using AI alongside current generation quantum computers,” he said. “It’s a self-reinforcing cycle.”
For security researchers, the threat is now more than just a theoretical concern. The rising worry is that governments and sophisticated entities are currently gathering encrypted internet traffic with the belief that future quantum computers will eventually decrypt it, a tactic often described as “harvest now, decrypt later.” “If I know quantum computers are on the horizon, I will begin capturing all possible data in transit,” Polosukhin explained.
“Everything we upload to the internet, if you’re identifiable as a person of interest, can likely be assumed to be decrypted within two years,” he added. “This is probably already happening.”
The ramifications for cryptocurrency are particularly severe, as most blockchain networks depend on the same elliptic curve cryptography utilized across the broader internet. A sufficiently powerful quantum computer could theoretically derive private keys from public keys, enabling attackers to breach vulnerable wallets and systems.
However, researchers increasingly argue that the larger narrative is not solely about quantum threats but rather the amalgamation of quantum computing and AI, which is engendering a persistent security arms race.
Artificial intelligence is already proving to be more adept at identifying software vulnerabilities and flaws in implementation. “I anticipate that the advent of AI will accelerate… even more hacking attempts,” Pruden stated. “These AI models are capable of uncovering either implementation bugs within the underlying cryptography or, increasingly, breaking the cryptography itself.”
Concurrently, developers are utilizing AI defensively for code auditing, testing, and formal verification—mathematical methods used to confirm that software operates as intended. “AI can aid in the formal verification of post-quantum systems,” Pruden noted. “This theoretically enhances their security.”
The outcome, researchers assert, is a future in which security can no longer be regarded as static infrastructure that is upgraded once every decade. “Nothing will remain as static as it has in the past,” Pruden warned. “Either a quantum computer will become operational to undermine fundamental assumptions, or AI will evolve sufficiently to do the same.”
This shift is already compelling blockchain networks to reconsider the pace at which they can adapt. Various ecosystems, including Ethereum, Zcash, Solana, Ripple, and NEAR, are actively investigating or implementing strategies for post-quantum migration.
NEAR recently unveiled plans to incorporate post-quantum cryptography directly into its account infrastructure, enabling users to rotate cryptographic schemes without needing to transfer assets to new wallets. “Back in 2018, during NEAR’s design phase, we thought: ‘Quantum is coming; we need an easy way to address it,’” Polosukhin recounted.
Nonetheless, the transition poses significant technical challenges. Post-quantum cryptographic systems are often considerably larger and slower than existing standards. “The cryptography currently standardized for post-quantum use is quite large and sluggish,” Polosukhin explained.
The broader implication, as researchers highlight, is that both AI and quantum computing are eroding a fundamental assumption of the digital era: that encryption can be trusted over extended periods. Instead, security may increasingly evolve into an adaptive, continuously changing process where systems must perpetually upgrade just to endure.