Emin Gün Sirer, founder and CEO of Ava Labs, stated that artificial intelligence is far more likely to exploit software-level bugs than to break the cryptographic math securing crypto wallets. Speaking on October 9, 2026, Sirer emphasized that the more pressing danger lies within the blockchain software, libraries, and wallets built on top of digital signature schemes.
The Avalanche blockchain primarily relies on the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA), specifically a variant called secp256k1, to authorize transactions. Sirer's comments followed industry discussions sparked by research from Ethereum’s Justin Drake regarding potential AI-driven mathematical advances affecting cryptographic signatures.
Despite downplaying the near-term threat to ECDSA, Sirer revealed that Ava Labs is weighing a proposal from Haseeb Qureshi for a "cryptographic recovery mode." This backup proposal envisions an alternative cryptosystem that could be integrated into Avalanche to protect users if ECDSA ever fails.
Additionally, an internal group at Ava Labs is exploring hash-based approaches as a precaution. Hash-based schemes rely on hash functions rather than elliptic curve math, meaning a failure in one system would not automatically compromise the other.
Sirer noted that no confirmed exploits have occurred and no immediate changes are planned for the Avalanche protocol, with no specific timeline or implementation details provided. While blockchain security discussions have historically centered on quantum computing, Sirer's framing highlights everyday code and software vulnerabilities as the more immediate battlefield.
