CEX Research Director: About one-third of Bitcoin may face quantum attack risks

On January 6, 2024, CEX Global Investment Research Director David Duong warned that as quantum computing technology accelerates, Bitcoin’s long-term security is entering “uncharted waters.” He pointed out that the risks posed by quantum computing are significantly underestimated by the current crypto market, which is approximately $33 trillion in size. Duong stated that about one-third of the Bitcoin supply is exposed because its wallet public keys are publicly available, potentially facing structural risks of quantum computing brute-force attacks on private keys in the future. Although quantum computing is still in its early stages, the related threats have evolved from theoretical issues to real-world dangers. He emphasized that, compared to the potential impact of quantum computing on mining efficiency, the true core risk lies in digital signature security. Once quantum computers have sufficient computing power, attackers could derive private keys from public keys, directly stealing Bitcoin assets. Previously, institutions including BlackRock explicitly listed quantum computing as a risk factor in Bitcoin ETF filings, and some researchers even predict that quantum computing could threaten Bitcoin’s cryptographic system within 4–5 years.