Crypto entrepreneur Nic Carter has urged Bitcoin developers to prioritize quantum-resistance or risk ceding ground to Ethereum, which already has a public post-quantum roadmap.
Bitcoin’s security relies on elliptic curve cryptography (ECC). Users derive a public address from a private key using mathematical operations on an elliptic curve. There is concern that sufficiently powerful quantum computers could undermine ECC and expose private keys, creating a fundamental threat to Bitcoin’s model. The Bitcoin community is divided: some push for cryptographic upgrades, while others worry active intervention would violate Bitcoin’s core principles.
“Elliptic curve cryptography is on the brink of obsolescence,” Carter wrote on X. “Whether it’s 3 or 10 years; it’s over and we need to accept that.” He argues that blockchains must be designed with cryptographic mutability—an ability to change core cryptographic primitives—rather than having cryptography hardcoded into protocols. “The only thing that matters is how quickly blockchain developers recognize that they need to bake in cryptographic mutability into their networks,” he added.
ARK Invest estimated in March that roughly a third of all BTC could be at risk from a quantum attack, while noting the threat is long-term. Carter contends Ethereum developers have already moved more decisively: the Ethereum Foundation has set post-quantum security as a top strategic priority and assembled a dedicated team, and there is a published roadmap aiming at post-quantum changes by 2029.
“ETH people have already figured this out. Everyone else seems to be petrified in fear. Unless something changes quickly, ETHBTC will start to reflect the divergence in prioritization,” Carter warned.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has outlined areas that need updating for quantum resistance, including validator signatures, data storage, accounts and proofs, and has proposed a staged roadmap. Carter pointed to that work as an advantage for Ethereum.
Carter has also criticized Bitcoin Core developers for not embracing quantum-related proposals such as BIP-360. In his X thread he accused Core contributors of a “worst in class approach,” alleging denial, gatekeeping, and refusal to take community feedback. Developers and proposal authors dispute that characterization: Ethan Heilman, a co-author of BIP-360, said Core contributors have engaged with the proposal and that BIP-360 has received an unusually high number of comments for a BIP.
The timeline urgency grew this week when Google set a 2029 deadline for migrating to post-quantum cryptography internally, warning that quantum computers will pose a significant threat to current cryptographic standards—particularly encryption and digital signatures.
The debate continues over how quickly blockchain projects should change cryptography, how to implement upgradeability without breaking decentralization, and whether proposed post-quantum schemes will remain secure in practice. For now, Ethereum’s public planning and dedicated work on the issue stand in contrast to ongoing disputes within the Bitcoin development community over the right approach and pace of change.
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