Cardano Founder Warns Quantum Computing Could Threaten Crypto Before 2033

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson believes there is more than a 50% chance that quantum computing could become a major threat to the cryptocurrency industry before 2033. Speaking at Consensus Miami, Hoskinson stressed that blockchain networks should begin preparing now instead of waiting for the danger to become immediate.

Hoskinson explained that most cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, currently rely on elliptic-curve cryptography for securing transactions and wallets. However, powerful quantum computers running Shor’s algorithm could eventually break these security systems by deriving private keys, forging digital signatures, and compromising blockchain consensus mechanisms.

According to Hoskinson, recent progress in quantum hardware, especially in neutral-atom computing, alongside government-supported initiatives such as DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, suggests the timeline for practical quantum threats may be arriving faster than previously expected. He also highlighted growing concerns over “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks, where encrypted data is collected today and decrypted once quantum technology becomes advanced enough.

To address these risks, Cardano is actively exploring post-quantum security solutions. Hoskinson said the network is moving toward lattice-based cryptography, which is considered resistant to both classical and quantum attacks. Cardano plans to integrate the US NIST FIPS 203-206 standards into its long-term roadmap, including technologies such as ML-KEM, ML-DSA, SLH-DSA, and Falcon-based signatures.

Hoskinson noted that Cardano’s governance model and hard-fork structure could make future upgrades easier compared to some competing blockchains. Community discussions and voting on quantum-resistant strategies are already taking place within the ecosystem.

Other blockchain projects are also preparing for a post-quantum future. The Solana Foundation recently announced the deployment of post-quantum signatures on a Solana testnet after consulting with Project Eleven on quantum readiness.

Despite ongoing uncertainty surrounding fault tolerance and error correction in quantum computing, industry leaders increasingly view the next decade as critical for strengthening crypto security.