Michael Saylor: Quantum threat to Bitcoin over 10 years away
Strategy CEO Michael Saylor minimized concerns over quantum computing’s near-term impact on Bitcoin during an appearance on Natalie Brunell’s Coin Stories podcast, stating that the broader cybersecurity community expects any credible quantum risk to be more than a decade away.
Saylor said that if a meaningful quantum breakthrough emerged, it would trigger coordinated software updates across global digital infrastructure, including banking networks, the internet, consumer devices, artificial intelligence systems, and crypto protocols such as Bitcoin (BTC). He added that Bitcoin’s software is built to evolve, with nodes, hardware, and wallets able to upgrade as needed. “You’ll see it coming. We’ll all see it coming,” he said.
According to Saylor, governments, technology companies, and financial institutions would face the same exposure and are therefore likely to reach a broad consensus on mitigation only if and when a substantiated threat materializes.
He characterized the crypto ecosystem as a leading cybersecurity community, citing the use of multi-factor authentication and hardware keys to protect digital assets. He argued that the procedures required to move Bitcoin are more stringent than those used for bank wire transfers or equity trading systems. “I think the crypto community will be the first to perceive the threat, and to react to the threat, and they’ll be leading the way,” Saylor said.
Quantum computing leverages quantum mechanics to perform certain computations at speeds unattainable by classical machines, raising concerns that future systems could compromise the cryptography that secures Bitcoin and other digital assets.
Saylor’s Strategy is described as the largest corporate Bitcoin treasury holder. On Monday, the Tysons Corner, Virginia-based firm said it purchased 592 Bitcoin for approximately $39.8 million last week, marking its 100th acquisition since adopting a Bitcoin treasury policy in August 2020.
It now holds 717,722 BTC, acquired for about $54.56 billion at an average price of $67,286 per coin.
Quantum risk debate within the crypto industry
While Saylor played down the immediacy of quantum-related risks, several industry participants have expressed greater concern.
Ethereum (ETH) co-founder Vitalik Buterin, in late 2025, cited Metaculus forecasting that placed around a 20% probability on quantum computers capable of breaking current cryptography appearing before 2030, with a median estimate near 2040.
Speaking months later at Devconnect in Buenos Aires, Buterin warned that elliptic curve cryptography underpinning Ethereum and Bitcoin could be at risk before the 2028 U.S. presidential election and urged a transition to quantum-resistant systems within the next four years.
The Ethereum Foundation has integrated post-quantum readiness into its 2026 security roadmap. On Jan. 24, researcher Justin Drake announced the formation of a dedicated Post-Quantum team, calling it a pivotal step in the foundation’s long-term strategy.
Quantum risk has also been cited by some as a possible factor in Bitcoin’s recent price weakness, with the asset falling from highs above $126,000 in October to around $64,000 currently. In January, Castle Island Ventures partner Nic Carter suggested Bitcoin’s “mysterious” underperformance could reflect market concerns about quantum risk, even if developers were not acting on it.
That view drew objections. Glassnode analyst James Check said that while contingency planning for quantum computing should proceed, it is not the primary driver of the recent price decline.
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