Cardano founder says quantum threat could dethrone Bitcoin

Cardano co-founder Charles Hoskinson has warned that Bitcoin could lose its position as the largest cryptocurrency if its governance system cannot organise a response to quantum computing.

Summary

• Hoskinson says Bitcoin could lose leadership if governance cannot coordinate a timely quantum-security upgrade successfully.
• Bitcoin developers are already discussing post-quantum migration plans, including BIP 361 and new signature designs.
• Cardano's onchain governance lets ADA holders vote on upgrades, but coordination disputes have also emerged.

He made the comments during an interview with The Starting Block published on July 24. Hoskinson described Bitcoin as "frozen in time" because major changes require wide agreement across developers, miners, node operators and users. He argued that Cardano's formal voting system gives its community a clearer route for approving upgrades. His comments present a governance argument rather than evidence of an immediate quantum attack.

Hoskinson frames quantum security as a governance test
Bitcoin relies on elliptic-curve cryptography to prove ownership of funds. A sufficiently powerful quantum computer could, in theory, derive private keys from exposed public keys and authorise transactions without the owner's approval. The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology describes this as a future risk and has already standardised algorithms designed to resist quantum attacks.

Hoskinson said quantum computing would test whether Bitcoin can change without weakening the qualities that support its value. He said BTC may not remain the leading cryptocurrency if its governance cannot make progress. However, he did not name another network that would replace it or give a date for a threat.

Bitcoin developers are already studying migration options
Bitcoin has no formal onchain voting body. Developers can propose code, but users and node operators decide whether to run it. Miners, exchanges and wallet providers also influence whether an upgrade gains enough support. This slower process avoids frequent rule changes, though it can make urgent coordination harder.

Work on quantum resistance is already active. Bitcoin Optech has tracked BIP 361, which outlines a phased move away from current ECDSA and Schnorr signatures after developers select a post-quantum system. Other proposals cover new address formats, hybrid signatures and recovery paths. These ideas remain under review.

Any such change would also need wallets, exchanges, custodians and long-dormant holders to migrate funds without splitting the network or creating conflicting ownership rules during a limited transition.

Some researchers estimate that millions of BTC sit in addresses whose public keys are visible. Those coins could face greater exposure if a capable quantum computer appears. The timing remains uncertain, and researchers continue to debate which coins should move, freeze or remain spendable.

Cardano points to formal onchain governance
Cardano completed its move to full community governance through the Plomin hard fork in January 2025. ADA holders can vote directly or delegate voting power to representatives known as DReps. Stake pool operators and a constitutional committee also take part in selected decisions. The system can approve hard forks and treasury withdrawals onchain.

Hoskinson said Cardano could use that structure to vote on a migration away from quantum-vulnerable infrastructure. Yet Cardano has not completed such a migration. Its governance system must still evaluate technical designs, approve funding and organise users, developers and service providers around any change.

The process has also produced disputes. Cardano delegates rejected or challenged several proposals linked to Hoskinson and Input Output during 2026. One request included research into Leios scaling and quantum-resistant cryptography. Formal voting does not guarantee approval of a founder-backed plan.

Cardano prepares scaling work alongside security research
Hoskinson also said Cardano is preparing for its largest upgrade and claimed the network would become "60 times faster." Development updates show teams are testing Ouroboros Leios, a design intended to increase throughput by separating block roles and allowing more work in parallel. Developers continue to integrate the prototype with Cardano node software.

The 60-fold figure remains Hoskinson's estimate rather than a measured result from the live network. Leios still requires testing, technical review and governance approval. Cardano's recent van Rossem hard fork shows that DReps, stake pool operators and the constitutional committee can coordinate an upgrade.

Hoskinson described Cardano as a "spiritual successor" to Bitcoin because it keeps a fixed-supply monetary model while adding smart contracts and formal governance. Bitcoin supporters may reject that comparison, since Bitcoin's limited change process forms part of its security model. Bitcoin depends on broad offchain consensus, while Cardano records many decisions directly onchain.

The quantum issue remains open for both networks. Bitcoin developers are designing migration options, while Cardano is funding research and building governance tools. Neither network has deployed a complete post-quantum transaction system. The practical test will come when developers agree on secure cryptography and communities must decide how to move users and funds.

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