If an AI system were to ever successfully attack or otherwise disrupt the cryptography of a respected blockchain – even in a white hat research setting – every panic sell-off crypto has seen before that moment would feel small. If a quantum computer ever broke a blockchain, we might as well all close down shop. The point of blockchains would be permanently undermined.
The good news is that there is a well-defined technical roadmap to avoid this. Some, not enough, but some protocols are already implementing it. But why are many falling short?
This is a real and looming threat that the crypto industry is ignoring at its own peril. To secure the future of decentralized technology, crypto must urgently upgrade its infrastructure to handle and proactively partner with the industries that pose the greatest risk: AI and quantum computing.
Blame it on pride, or protectionism, or competition, but these cross-industry partnerships and technical future-proofing steps are simply not happening at a meaningful rate. As a result, the technology designed to improve humanity is increasingly vulnerable to the infrastructure that will define it.
Blockchain technology is finally delivering secure, transparent, and self‑sovereign systems at a global scale. Yet today, the threats of AI – and, at a later date, quantum computing – show that crypto is not doing enough to safeguard everything it has built.
A recent Cornell University study examined how AI agents connected to blockchain protocols can be manipulated by adversaries who tamper with their memory or context. Malicious actors can inject fake history or prompts, triggering unauthorized transfers or protocol violations, essentially turning AI‑driven crypto agents into hijacked allies.
Meanwhile, AI in the hands of attackers is already fueling cybercrime. AI‑enabled phishing, malware, and zero‑day exploits are proliferating, and traditional defenses are struggling to keep up.
But equally imperative to address is the blind eye much of our industry is turning to quantum computing. While it might still be a decade away from breaking blockchains, the risk could be more serious than a 51/49 attack from generative AI. Experts warn that within a decade, powerful quantum machines may crack encryption that secures up to 25% of all Bitcoin, particularly BTC stored in legacy wallets with exposed public keys.
Researchers have already discovered that traditional public key crypto that forms the core of blockchains is vulnerable to quantum algorithms that already exist today. Post‑quantum cryptography (PQC) standards are now emerging from government cybersecurity organizations like NIST and ENISA, but the crypto industry is not taking their guidance seriously enough.
The bottom line is that many operators are prioritizing hypergrowth over responsible scaling and are neither acting with sufficient urgency nor partnering with AI and quantum experts to future‑proof systems.
Only a few blockchains, such as Sui, Ethereum, and Algorand, are actively developing and testing post‑quantum algorithms, with Sui going as far as solving the backward compatibility issue to protect older, non-quantum accounts. Even though NIST standards are solidifying, some of the most valuable networks in the world still use ECDSA without quantum‑resilient upgrades. Research confirms widespread unpreparedness across major platforms.
The consequences of inaction are real. If AI infiltrates blockchain systems, hacks could be invisible, stealthy, and systemic. Agents with fake memories could illegitimately move funds, compromise contract security, or corrupt DeFi protocols. And if quantum computing arrives before we have adopted quantum‑safe algorithms across the board, attackers could reverse‑engineer private keys, rewrite histories, and undermine user wallets, destroying hard-earned trust in the entire industry.
There is time to mitigate these systemic risks, but the migration to future-proof technology and partnerships must begin now. Every crypto protocol needs to assess its cryptographic inventory and start planning a phased rollout of post-quantum cryptography well ahead of the deadlines security agencies are recommending.
Waiting is not a strategy, because there could easily be a leapfrog innovation in quantum computing or AI – accelerated by AI itself – that moves the threat timeline up by years.
Beyond the inaction to future-proof blockchains at the protocol level, meaningful partnerships between crypto, AI, and quantum companies remain sparse, there are not enough AI companies co-designing secure agent-in-crypto frameworks with crypto companies, and there is not enough collaboration between the blockchain industry and quantum academia.
Together, both crypto operators and AI and quantum researchers should be developing frameworks for coexistence. That includes creating mechanisms where blockchains secure AI outputs like immutable logs, transparent decision histories, and reliable governance.
Engagement with regulators needs to drastically improve, too. This means working with organizations like NIST and ENISA to test and help refine emerging post‑quantum cryptography standards. Those who participate in defining what a quantum-proof protocol is are more likely to implement them correctly and securely.
Better collaboration will lead to safety measures that protect governments, businesses, individuals, and the technology powering humanity forward. More importantly, the ways in which crypto, AI, and quantum computing can help one another and improve society if working in lockstep are numerous. Deeper cross-industry integrations are not only better for our security, they are better for the global economy.
With quantum and crypto collaborations, imagine networks that use quantum‑safe signatures and encryption from day one. And this is where it gets fun. These networks could store next‑generation scientific data – medical breakthroughs, genomic research, climate models – with guarantees that even the most advanced quantum adversary cannot tamper with historical truth. Quantum advances become allies rather than threats.
Only by working proactively with AI and quantum communities can the crypto industry fulfill its promise. Crypto can build systems that are not only safe from tomorrow’s threats but also amplify humanity’s potential. But if the industry fails to more effectively partner with other industries and fails to independently take steps to mitigate risk, a lot of what the world is excited about today could go to zero.
