BBitcoin’s Silent Killer? Ex-Hacker Warns Quantum + AI Could Break Crypto Before We Notice

[cryptoenthusiast]

So… we’re all hyped on the bull market, XRP’s up, Bitcoin’s blasting past $119K, and ETH is doing ETH things.
But in the background? A guy who used to hack for fun at 13 is waving a giant red flag:

“Quantum computing is coming — and crypto is not ready.”

That’s the warning from David Carvalho, a former hacker turned cybersecurity CEO, now building post-quantum defenses at Naoris Protocol.
He’s not mincing words:

“Quantum is coming for it all, like meteors came for the dinosaurs.” 🦖💥

Let’s break it down
🧠 TL;DR – What’s the Threat?

Crypto today runs on traditional encryption — mainly ECDSA and SHA-256
🧪 Quantum computers could, in theory, break that... just not yet
️‍️ But attackers are already using a “harvest now, decrypt later” strategy:

Stockpiling encrypted blockchain data today

Waiting for quantum tech to catch up tomorrow

Then unlocking decades of private keys in minutes

️ The Real Danger? Quantum + AI

According to Carvalho, it’s not just about brute-force cracking keys.
The true risk is quantum hardware + AI software, creating precision-targeted, stealth attacks:

🧬 AI scans wallets for obscure bugs

🎯 Quantum breaks legacy keys

👻 Result: A “silent collapse” — funds drained, governance spoofed, no proof, no warning

You won’t see headlines. You’ll just see coins move — and no one will be able to explain how.
Is Bitcoin Defenseless?

Not yet.
Projects are working on quantum-resistant upgrades:

🛡️ BIP-360 (quantum-proof addresses)

🔐 StarkWare’s STARKs

⚙️ Protocol-level rollups and resilient infrastructure from folks like Naoris

But... only about 25% of Bitcoin is stored in secure formats. The rest? Still vulnerable.
And while Bitcoin is “decentralized,” the infrastructure (cloud nodes, API endpoints, mining pools) isn’t — which makes it a juicy target.

“Decentralization is great on paper,” Carvalho says,
“but if everyone’s routing through the same few backbones or third-party APIs, the game’s already lost.”

️‍️ Where We Stand

Quantum can’t yet break SHA-256 or ECDSA
Governments are already preparing — NSA, NIST, White House memos
The crypto world? Still mostly asleep

Carvalho’s final warning?

“Everyone’s waiting for a countdown that won’t come.”

What Do You Think?

Is this just future-fear hype, or a ticking time bomb?

Should we be prioritizing post-quantum defenses now?

Are any of your bags on old wallet formats?

If Bitcoin’s security is quietly being undermined behind the scenes, it might not be price that breaks it — it could be trust.

[jacson4]

Very relevant and thought-provoking post. Quantum AI indeed poses a serious potential threat to blockchain security, especially if practical quantum computing becomes a reality. While the risks are real, we also need to stay grounded—fully functional, scalable quantum systems aren’t mainstream yet. This is more of a wake-up call for developers and security researchers to start preparing with post-quantum encryption standards. Watching how the blockchain space evolves to counter this will be key in the coming years.

[Nahid10]

Great insight! Instead of fearmongering, this opens up a healthy discussion. Yes, quantum and AI advancements might challenge current blockchain encryption, but that doesn’t mean the system will collapse. Security experts are already exploring alternatives, like quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms (e.g., lattice-based, hash-based). The focus should now shift to preparing smart contracts and protocols to adapt when the time comes. Better to upgrade in advance than react too late.