Coinbase’s Independent Advisory Board on Quantum Computing and Blockchain said Algorand and Aptos have taken early steps to prepare for future quantum risks, while some proof-of-stake networks may need more work.
Summary
- Coinbase said Algorand and Aptos have advanced post-quantum plans as other proof-of-stake chains need more upgrades.
- The report said quantum computers are not an immediate threat, but blockchain preparation should start now.
- Coinbase warned validator signature systems on some proof-of-stake networks may face higher future quantum risk.
The report said the threat is not immediate, but it urged blockchain teams to begin planning upgrades now.
The paper focused on how powerful quantum computers could one day break the cryptography used across major blockchains. Coinbase said such machines do not exist today, but the board believes they will eventually be built.
Coinbase outlines long-term quantum risk
Coinbase said a future quantum computer could break the systems that protect digital assets, wallets, and blockchain transactions. The report said that level of computing power remains far beyond what exists today.
The board wrote that “a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could one day break the cryptography that secures digital assets across major blockchains.” It also said it has “high confidence” that this kind of machine will be built in the future.
The report added that the industry still has time to prepare. It said a computer capable of threatening crypto networks would need to be far more powerful than current machines, and that such a development may still be at least a decade away.
That view led Coinbase to call for early upgrade work rather than emergency action. The paper focused on readiness, migration paths, and changes networks may need before the risk becomes real.
Algorand and Aptos cited for early preparation
Coinbase said Algorand has a staged roadmap toward full quantum readiness. The report said the network already provides cryptographic tools that can support quantum-resistant accounts without requiring protocol changes.
It added that Algorand recently completed its first quantum-resistant transaction on mainnet. At the same time, Coinbase said block proposals and committee voting on the network still face exposure to quantum attacks, and research is ongoing.
The report also said Aptos is “well positioned” for a move to post-quantum secure transactions. Coinbase explained that Aptos stores a user’s public key as account metadata instead of deriving the address from that key.
Because of that design, users on Aptos may only need to sign a transaction to update their authentication key to a post-quantum public key. Coinbase said there would be no need to move assets to a new account.
Proof-of-stake networks face more work
Coinbase said proof-of-stake blockchains such as Ethereum and Solana may face greater risk because of the signature systems validators use to secure their networks. The board said those systems could become targets if quantum computing reaches the required scale.
Still, the report noted that Solana has already introduced a new signature scheme. It said users can move tokens to a new address based on that upgraded scheme and reduce exposure to a future attacker.
Coinbase also said Ethereum has a clear roadmap for quantum-resistant signature upgrades. The board added that networks may eventually need users to migrate funds to safer wallets, while wallets that remain exposed could lose access over time.
