Stacks network co-founder Muneeb Ali said in a Cointelegraph podcast that uncertainty over Bitcoin’s ability to withstand future quantum attacks may already be limiting its growth and delaying institutional allocations. He said risk-averse investors may postpone large purchases unless developers present a credible roadmap for quantum-resistant security upgrades.

“There is already a ceiling on bitcoin’s growth because of quantum fears,” he noted.

Ali calls for a security roadmap

Ali said Bitcoin could enter a riskier period if developers fail to make meaningful progress toward quantum-resistant protection by 2028. Protocol changes typically take years to implement, he said, and users would need additional time after an upgrade to move their assets to new addresses.

Ali cited 2030 as a benchmark for the transition to quantum-resistant security, referring to recommendations from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology. However, he suggested that advances in artificial intelligence could accelerate the development of quantum computers and bring that timeline forward to 2029.

Some members of the Bitcoin community view the quantum threat as distant and concerns about it as exaggerated, Ali acknowledged. In his view, however, the absence of consensus over the urgency of the issue could itself weaken investor confidence.

Potential effects across the crypto market

Ali said a sufficiently powerful quantum computer would be more likely to emerge in a major research laboratory than in the hands of an unknown attacker. He also suggested that companies such as Google or Microsoft would be unlikely to use the technology to steal bitcoins because of the potential legal consequences.

The risk would not be limited to Bitcoin, according to Ali. He said a successful quantum attack on the cryptocurrency could affect the broader digital-asset industry, with others suffering downstream if Bitcoin took the initial hit.

Separately, Galaxy Digital head of research Alex Thorn previously said a consensus was forming among members of the crypto community about the inviolability of early Bitcoin coins linked to Satoshi Nakamoto.

Source: Incrypted