Naoris CEO says Bitcoin’s quantum threat is closer than you think

A hacker-turned-defender warns that most of the industry is asleep on crypto’s existential threat: quantum computing.

David Carvalho is the CEO of Naoris Protocol a post-quantum technology firm. He began hacking in his teens, using spam email to gain employers’ attention.

He used his skills in cybersecurity to protect systems, rather than probe them. He builds quantum resilient systems for decentralized network and claims The cryptographic basis of Blockchains such as Bitcoin and Ethereum is dangerously out-dated.

“The cryptography behind nearly every chain is as weak as the rest of the world’s cryptography,” Carvalho told Cointelegraph. “Quantum is coming for it all, like meteors came for the dinosaurs.”

Bitcoin and other developers of blockchains often insist that there’s plenty of time left to adapt. However, this window is closing. Carvalho says that while efforts to introduce quantum-resistant digital signatures have begun, they are not yet widespread and treated with the urgency this threat requires.

Quantum threats are harvesting Bitcoin data now

Years ago, it was impossible to imagine that Bitcoin could be threatened by quantum computers. The threat may be shifting from theory into early practice, based on real-world development.

The government and the tech giants have a symbiotic relationship already preparing What’s called the “harvest now, decrypt later” model. US federal agencies such as National Institute of Standards and Technology have warned Since 2022, the White House has been urging for quantum-resistant algorithms. memorandum The NSA prompted me to advise By 2035, government contractors are expected to switch to post quantum cryptography.

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The quantum technology of today is not able to break the SHA-256 hash algorithm used by Bitcoin or Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm, which protects cryptokeys. But researchers like Carvalho argue that exponential breakthroughs — especially when paired with AI — could arrive abruptly. Cybercriminal and state-sponsored groups have already begun collecting blockchain encrypted data, in the hope of decrypting it when quantum hardware is available.

“The adversaries collecting encrypted blockchain data right now aren’t waiting to attack today,” Carvalho said. “They’re building data sets for tomorrow. When the tech catches up, they’ll unlock a decade of secrets in minutes.”

Most of the Bitcoin Community doesn’t view quantum computing as a threat right now, even though there are warnings. no widespread sense of panic.

Bitcoin’s existing cryptography can still be considered strong against quantum machines. Developers have started exploring defences such as BIP-360There are also projects like Carvalho’s Naoris Protocol, which aims to help blockchains transition from quantum cryptographic standards to post-quantum cryptographic standards. Carvalho’s Naoris Protocol is also helping blockchains to transition to cryptographic standards that are post-quantum.

Bitcoin is the real Apocalypse.

Carvalho says that while most discussions about quantum threats are focused on brute force attacks against cryptographic keys. The real danger is the convergence between quantum computing and AI. Together, Carvalho argues, these technologies could allow for stealthy and asymmetric attacks, which would not overwhelm cryptosystems but destroy them with precision.

“Everyone’s waiting for a countdown that won’t come. You won’t get a warning that a 10-year-old Bitcoin wallet has been cracked. You’ll just see funds moved, and no one will be able to prove how or by whom,” “He said”

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AI is already embedded in cybersecurity — used for intrusion detection, smart contract auditing and anomaly detection. In the wrong hands the tools can be used to do the opposite. AI attacks could be used to scan wallets and validater responses for bugs. They would also adapt their behavior in real time. Carvalho says that if paired with an elliptic curve quantum computer, it would not be loud, but a “silent collapse.”

“This isn’t just about stealing coins,” “He said” “It’s about eroding trust invisibly. Entire blockchains could be compromised, governance systems spoofed, and no one would know who did it or how.”

AI-driven testing has found vulnerabilities Cryptographic libraries are overlooked by traditional tools. Add to that the fact that adversaries are stockpiling encrypted information under their control. “harvest now, decrypt later” Model, and you may have already laid the foundation for a breach of systemic proportions.

Carvalho warned that this could mark Bitcoin’s true apocalypse if left unaddressed — not a dramatic livestreamed cracking of SHA-256 but a slow, silent erosion of the trust layers that hold the system together.

Bitcoin cannot defend itself against weak links

Bitcoin’s infrastructure is still centralized, despite all of the hype about its decentralization. Cloud platforms and networks, such as mining pools and validator network all pose vulnerable chokepoints which quantum-capable attackers could take advantage of. The damage that could be done to the network if a cloud provider with hundreds of nodes was compromised would not matter how decentralized a protocol claims to have been.

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

Quantum threat can exploit blindspots in systems: centralization, outdated technology and assumptions of trust.

Some projects have already been prepared. Carvalho’s Naoris draws from national security frameworks in order to create decentralized systems for the post-quantum era. Some are creating quantum-resistant key formats, protocol upgrades and new rollups through Bitcoin Improvement Proposals.

Threatening, the reaction is growing. The crypto-ecosystem must act now before it’s to late.

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