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Insider Brief
- Strategy executives said during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call that quantum computing does not pose an imminent threat to Bitcoin, citing industry views that machines capable of breaking its cryptography remain at least a decade away while announcing plans to coordinate on long-term security planning.
- Executive Chairman Michael Saylor warned against premature protocol changes, arguing that rushed responses to hypothetical quantum risks could introduce new vulnerabilities and weaken the network rather than strengthen it.
- The company said it will launch a Bitcoin security program to collaborate with cybersecurity experts and developer groups on emerging threats, positioning itself as a coordinating participant in broader post-quantum preparedness efforts rather than an advocate for specific technical fixes.
Executives at Strategy moved to reassure investors about the potential impact of quantum computing on Bitcoin during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call, arguing that the technology does not pose an imminent risk while confirming plans to coordinate more closely on long-term security planning.
Speaking during the call, Executive Chairman Michael Saylor said concerns about quantum computing represent the latest in a long series of perceived existential threats to Bitcoin that have yet to materialize. According to the earnings call transcript, Saylor said the prevailing view across research and industry is that quantum computers capable of compromising Bitcoin’s cryptography remain “10 or more years away.”
Saylor cautioned against responding prematurely to hypothetical risks, warning that rushed protocol changes could introduce new vulnerabilities. He added that poorly timed interventions could create additional attack surfaces or complexity that does not currently exist, potentially weakening rather than strengthening the network.
Quantum computing has become a recurring topic in Bitcoin security discussions, particularly around whether sufficiently powerful machines could one day break public-key cryptography used in certain wallet types. While academic research has demonstrated quantum algorithms that could threaten classical encryption in theory, no existing quantum system is capable of executing such attacks at scale.
During the call, Saylor placed quantum risk alongside earlier concerns that Bitcoin has faced over its history, including fears related to energy consumption, mining centralization, 51% attacks, and geopolitical pressure. In each case Bitcoin either adapted over time or proved more resilient than critics anticipated, he said.
The company emphasized that Bitcoin is not alone in facing potential long-term quantum risks. According to the transcript, Saylor said that financial institutions, governments, and defense systems rely on similar cryptographic standards and are exposed to comparable challenges as quantum research advances.
Despite acknowledging the issue, Strategy declined to advocate for specific technical remedies or timelines. During the question-and-answer portion of the call, Saylor said it would be inappropriate for the company to push particular solutions for addressing potentially quantum-vulnerable wallets, stressing that such decisions should emerge through broad developer and community consensus.
Instead, the company said it plans to initiate a Bitcoin security program aimed at coordinating with the global cybersecurity community, crypto security researchers, and established Bitcoin security groups. According to the transcript, the effort is intended to support collaboration and information sharing on quantum risks and other emerging threats, rather than to advance proprietary fixes.
Saylor framed the initiative as a responsibility associated with Strategy’s role as a major Bitcoin holder. He said the company believes Bitcoin is fundamentally upgradable and capable of responding to future challenges, provided changes are made deliberately and with widespread agreement.
The remarks come as governments and standards bodies increase work on post-quantum cryptography, developing algorithms designed to withstand future quantum attacks. Most of those efforts remain focused on long-term preparation rather than near-term deployment.
As quantum research progresses, Strategy did signal that it intends to participate in security discussions as a coordinating voice rather than a directive one, reinforcing its view that Bitcoin’s durability depends as much on disciplined governance as on technological adaptation.