Swan Bitcoin founder Cory Klippsten said artificial intelligence is a more immediate threat to Bitcoin security than quantum computing, warning that hackers are using large language models to probe for vulnerabilities as crypto exchanges confront new breaches.
Speaking on Cointelegraph’s Chain Reaction, Klippsten described the near-term risk as AI-driven, with LLMs in the hands of attackers allowing them to search for weaknesses repeatedly. He dismissed much of the concern about quantum computing as speculative.
Exchange breaches frame the warning
The comments followed a security incident at Brazil’s Mercado Bitcoin, which suspended deposits and withdrawals on Monday; researchers estimated that more than $46 million had left its wallets. Days earlier, Binance lost $6.3 billion in an Oct. 29 hack that the FBI attributed to North Korean hackers.
Quantum risk seen as farther out
Klippsten estimated that quantum computers capable of threatening Bitcoin’s cryptography are at least a decade away, and potentially further off. He said the network could adopt quantum-resistant protections if the threat became credible, but argued that rushing to implement them now would add unnecessary complexity.
He also warned that cryptocurrency companies should not rely on hastily developed software to safeguard customer assets, saying security requires knowing what you are doing. Klippsten suggested some crypto startups and investors had used quantum computing fears to attract funding, characterizing much of the discussion as fear, uncertainty and doubt rather than an imminent security concern.
