KEYTAKEAWAYS
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Jameson Lopp said quantum computers are unlikely to break Bitcoin in the near term, yet protocol upgrades and large-scale fund migration require a long preparation cycle due to Bitcoin’s decentralized consensus.
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The Bitcoin community is divided between cautious maximalists who oppose premature consensus-layer changes and venture capital groups that warn of a more urgent quantum threat.
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While some investors argue delayed quantum resistance could impact BTC’s price, others maintain that any quantum attack would be extremely costly and likely require government-level resources.
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Bitcoin does not face an immediate quantum computing threat, but transitioning the network to quantum-resistant standards would be complex and could take five to ten years.
CASA CO-FOUNDER CALLS FOR EARLY INTRODUCTION OF QUANTUM-RESISTANT STANDARDS
Bitcoin core developer and co-founder of crypto asset custody firm Casa, Jameson Lopp, said in response to recent debates over whether quantum computers pose a threat to Bitcoin that migrating Bitcoin (BTC) to quantum-resistant standards would still take at least five to ten years.
Jameson Lopp agreed with the view of Adam Back, CEO of cryptography infrastructure company Blockstream, that quantum computers do not pose a material threat to Bitcoin in the near term. Lopp wrote on X (formerly Twitter):“Quantum computers will not break Bitcoin in the short term. We will continue to monitor their development. But if we are to make thoughtful changes to the protocol and complete an unprecedented migration of funds, the entire process will likely take five to ten years. We should hope for the best, but also prepare for the worst.”
In another post, he added that because Bitcoin uses a decentralized consensus model, upgrading the Bitcoin protocol to quantum-resistant standards is far more difficult than upgrading centralized software.
As quantum computing technology advances, quantum threats and corresponding mitigation strategies have become an important topic within the Bitcoin community. Clear divisions have emerged: one camp consists of Bitcoin maximalists who advocate caution and oppose premature protocol changes, while the other includes venture capital firms and investment institutions that believe the quantum threat is imminent.
BITCOIN MAXIMALISTS VS. THE VENTURE CAPITAL CAMP
On this issue, Bitcoin maximalist Pierre Rochard said: “The cost of quantum-resistant solutions is low enough to be funded by nonprofits and venture capital.”
Rochard further argued that the cost of attacking Bitcoin with quantum computers would be so high that governments would likely have to subsidize it, making it a “collective action problem.” In essence, his position is not opposition to research into quantum-resistant technologies, but rather the view that, absent evidence of an imminent threat, there is no need to rush major upgrades that would affect Bitcoin’s consensus layer.
Quantum-resistance solutions are affordable enough to be financed by non-profits and VCs.
Building an actual quantum facility for attacking bitcoin would be so expensive and speculative that the government would have to subsidize it as a collective action problem.
— Pierre Rochard (@BitcoinPierre) December 21, 2025
Meanwhile, Bitcoin investor and CEO of wallet company and advocacy group JAN3, Samson Mow, also questioned whether quantum computers could realistically break Bitcoin’s security mechanisms. Mow said: “In reality, quantum computers can’t even factor the number 21—not 21 million, just 21—without highly customized algorithms.”
Despite this, some venture capital firms and investment institutions continue to warn about the threat posed by quantum computing, and market awareness of this risk has begun to affect Bitcoin’s price. Charles Edwards, founder of digital asset investment fund Capriole, noted that if the Bitcoin protocol does not become quantum-resistant by 2028, BTC could fall below USD 50,000.
Edwards called on Bitcoin node operators to promote and enforce “Bitcoin Improvement Proposal BIP-360,” which introduces a Bitcoin signature scheme with quantum-resistant properties.
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