What Bitcoin Did
What Bitcoin Did
Danny Knowles
Is the Quantum Threat to Bitcoin Actually Real? | Alex Pruden
1 hour 17 minutes Posted Apr 9, 2026 at 5:00 pm.
Quantum Computing and the Risk to Bitcoin
Introducing Alex Pruden and His Background
Estimating the Timeline for Quantum Attacks
The Attack Vector for Bitcoin Explained
Skepticism About the Quantum Computing Timeline
Google's Willow Paper and Quantum Computing Progress
Physical Qubits vs. Logical Qubits
Actions Bitcoiners Should Be Taking Now
The Engineering Challenges of Post-Quantum Algorithms
Burning Satoshi's Coins
How Quickly Does Bitcoin Need to Change?
The Importance of Crypto Agility
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“There's a 50% chance that by 2033, quantum computers can break Bitcoin.”

Alex Pruden joins me to explain why the threat may be much closer than most Bitcoiners think, what a real quantum attack on Bitcoin would actually look like, and whether bitcoin developers are doing enough to prepare.

We get into the real risk to self custody, exposed public keys, whether Satoshi’s coins could become a target, how a migration to quantum resistant signatures might work, and why this debate could become one of the most important and divisive fights in Bitcoin’s future.

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