Bitcoin’s Quantum Security Risk Now Has Economic Consequences

Bitcoin’s quantum-computing debate is starting to have economic consequences well before a cryptographically capable quantum computer poses an immediate threat to the network. Muneeb Ali, founder of the Bitcoin layer-2 project Stacks, said quantum-security uncertainty is already discouraging institutional investment and limiting Bitcoin’s growth. That concern matters even as US spot Bitcoin ETFs have accumulated more than $104 billion in net assets, according to BitBo data cited by Cointelegraph. For institutions treating Bitcoin as a hedge against currency debasement, doubts about its long-term security could weaken the investment case.

Ali, speaking on Cointelegraph’s Chain Reaction podcast, warned that Bitcoin developers need meaningful progress toward quantum resistance by 2028. He cited 2030 as a target for completing the transition, drawing on guidance from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, while noting that advances in AI could accelerate the timeline. A sufficiently powerful quantum computer could undermine the public-key cryptography used to control Bitcoin addresses, but the migration would itself be a major undertaking: developers would need to agree on a solution, coordinate a network upgrade and give holders time to move their coins to quantum-resistant addresses. Ali said the absence of a credible roadmap could erode investor confidence, while a quantum breakthrough that enabled Bitcoin theft would send shockwaves through the broader cryptocurrency market.

Ripple has received final approval from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to establish a national trust bank, clearing the last regulatory hurdle after conditional approval in December 2025. The Ripple National Trust Bank will operate under federal supervision, advancing the company’s push into regulated financial services.

The Crypto Biz roundup, written by Cointelegraph staff editor Sam Bourgi and edited by Bryan O’Shea, also highlighted VanEck adding BTC to a new exchange-traded fund and USDC gaining ground in Europe. Together, the developments underscore how quantum-computing risk is moving beyond a theoretical cybersecurity discussion and into Bitcoin’s investment, regulatory and market outlook.