* Quantum computing threats to Ethereum and Bitcoin may arrive sooner than expected.
* Vitalik Buterin and leading researchers warn that fault-tolerant quantum computers capable of breaking Bitcoin and Ethereum’s elliptic-curve cryptography could emerge before 2028.
* CCN asked ChatGPT and Grok for their take on the warnings.
Fresh warnings from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin have reignited debate over whether Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) are ready for the era of quantum computing.
His concern is that the next wave of quantum advances could expose major weaknesses in today’s blockchain security.
With Deloitte estimating that roughly 25% of all Bitcoin in circulation is already susceptible to a quantum attack, and as more experts echo the alarm, the question now is how real — and how urgent — the threat truly is.
Quantum Computing’s Threat To Ethereum
Speaking at the Devconnect conference in Bangkok, Buterin told developers that the industry has less time than expected to prepare for a potential breakthrough in quantum capability.
“Elliptic curves are going to die,” Buterin said, and reportedly pointed to predictions that quantum computing could break Ethereum before 2028.
On Nov. 13, Scott Aaronson, a quantum computing professor at the University of Texas at Austin, stated that fault-tolerant quantum computers could threaten Bitcoin’s elliptic curve cryptography by 2028.
“I now think it’s a live possibility that we’ll have a fault-tolerant quantum computer running Shor’s algorithm before the next U.S. Presidential election,” he wrote in a blog post.
The comments have raised fresh questions about the all-important security systems that are protecting the world’s biggest blockchains.
With the possibility of an existential threat back in focus, CCN turned to ChatGPT and Grok for their opinion.
ChatGPT’s Cautious Warning
ChatGPT’s outlook was not very comforting.
“Quantum computing poses a real and time-sensitive challenge for blockchains built on elliptic-curve cryptography, including Bitcoin and Ethereum,” the AI said.
The model pointed to the rapidly growing push of engineering progress in quantum research.
“A capable quantum system would not need decades — just enough qubits and error correction to reliably run algorithms needed,” it noted.
Asked whether 2028 was a plausible deadline, ChatGPT said the timeline remains uncertain but not unrealistic.
“The worst-case scenario is not that quantum computers suddenly leap forward, but that the industry fails to migrate to quantum-resistant cryptography fast enough.”
While the AI argued that a coordinated upgrade is achievable, it warned that the transition could be slow and uneven.
