Adam Back: Bitcoin’s quantum threat is still far off, but the migration window has already opened

Gate News message: On April 8, Blockstream CEO Adam Back, in an interview with Bloomberg, said that quantum computers do not yet pose a real threat to the Bitcoin network, but the industry should start preparing immediately. He noted that today’s hardware generally lacks error-correction capabilities, and that quantum risk is a long-term challenge rather than a near-term crisis. Adam Back emphasized that the key issue is not reaching consensus on when quantum computers will have enough capability to pose a serious threat, but rather providing Bitcoin holders with about a decade-long window to migrate keys to a post-quantum format. He said that, so far, a 20-person research team has been carrying out the work continuously, publishing papers and conducting practical deployments, and that Blockstream’s Liquid network has already been put into use as an early testing platform. In addition, post-quantum cryptography has moved from the theoretical stage into the implementation stage, and NIST completed the finalization of the relevant standards by the end of 2024. The industry’s main challenge is how to coordinate and complete an orderly migration before the risk becomes urgent.