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CEO Michael Saylor warns that the biggest risk for Bitcoin is ambitious opportunists calling for changes to the protocol.
The statement comes as Coinbase and the Ethereum network take steps to address one of Bitcoin’s longest-standing existential threats: quantum computing.
Bitcoin’s quantum dilemma brings the protocol change debate into focus
It was formulated Co-founder of MicroStrategy Protocol hardening is a primary defense for Bitcoin. According to Michael Saylor, internal attempts to “optimize” the network pose a greater risk than external technological threats.
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This statement highlights Bitcoin’s role as a neutral digital money amid debates such as the BIP-110 soft partition proposal.
BIP-110, which had a contract support of 2.38% from January 25, 2026, is intended to establish a temporary limit on transaction data (eg. OP_RETURN to 83 bytes) to combat “spam” from non-financial uses.
This debate has divided the community between hardliners who favor Bitcoin nodes and those who use Bitcoin Core for wider applications.
Some developers cite concerns about hasty or politically motivated changes, while others highlight that ignoring emerging risks can become a burden in itself.
This tension is starting to become more apparent advertising Coinbase has announced the formation of a dedicated independent advisory board For quantum computing And blockchain security.
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The council will consider how Future advances in large-scale quantum machines could threaten Bitcoin’s cryptographic foundations. They will publish public research, risk assessments and technical guidance for the wider ecosystem.
At the heart of anxiety is Elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), That supports Bitcoin signatures in ECDSA and Schnorr.
In theory, a sufficiently powerful quantum computer running Shor’s algorithm could sniff private keys from public keys, allowing attackers to forge transactions or drain exposed wallets.
While such devices are still at least 5 years away, the long time required for secure protocol transitions has made quantum resilience a growing priority.
The Coinbase Advisory Board brings together prominent figures in the field of cryptography and quantitative research, including:
- إستاد جامعة ستانفرد دان بونه
- University of Texas quantum theorist Scott Aaronson
- Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake, W
- The founder of Eignlayer, Sriram Kannan.
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According to Coinbase, the council will operate independently and publish position papers on the state of quantum computing.
They also issue guidance to developers and organizations, and respond in real time to industry developments.
Bitcoin’s quantum talk has shifted from theory to engineering reality
The initiative reflects a broader shift in how the Bitcoin development community approaches the issue.
Data for 2025 is shown Noticeable increase in quantum related discussions On Bitcoin mailing lists, more than 10% of technical communications now address post-quantum security. It should be noted that this came after years of almost complete silence.
The conversation went beyond abstract assumptions to concrete engineering questions, including how Bitcoin could transition from ECC to post-quantum signature schemes via soft forks without disrupting the network.
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Despite this momentum, most researchers are cautious From rapid changes in the protocol. The prevailing view favors waiting for post-quantum cryptography standards from bodies like NIST to fully mature. This is in contrast to forcing initial updates which can introduce new vulnerabilities.
In this sense, Coinbase’s move is portrayed as preparation rather than panic. It is an attempt to ensure that Bitcoin and other blockchains have reliable migration paths before quantum attacks become practical.
The contrast with Ethereum has also become clearer. The Ethereum Foundation recently announced that post-quantum security is a strategic priority. Thus, it is:
- Launch custom teams
- Funding crypto research, and
- Post-quantum direct development network operation.
Ethereum representatives now sit on Coinbase’s advisory board, highlighting how quantum readiness is increasingly seen as a cross-cutting and industry-wide challenge.
As quantum research accelerates and institutions become more active in strengthening the future infrastructure of cryptocurrency, this balance may become more difficult to maintain.
