According to Ledger CTO Charles Guillemet, blockchain security relies heavily on Elliptic Curve Cryptography, as seen in public and private keys. Because nothing says “secure” like a math problem that’s basically a puzzle only a supercomputer could solve… if it had time, patience, and a caffeine addiction.
While not an immediate threat, it is believed that once quantum computers are powerful enough, Elliptic Curve Cryptography could be broken, meaning private keys could be computed from exposed public keys. Because nothing says “I’m safe” like having your secrets publicly available, just waiting for a quantum computer to say, “Hey, I’m bored. Let’s crack this.”
Guillemet added that while it is tempting to think Bitcoin public keys “usually aren’t on-chain,” this is not so as, in practice, public keys are revealed when users spend, and some are already exposed in early outputs and through address reuse. Because nothing says “privacy” like reusing the same password for every account, but also, like, forever.
Given this threat, “wait and see” is not an option, according to Guillemet, as preparation has to start long before quantum capability becomes real. Because who wants to wait for a problem to become a crisis when you can panic early and look like a genius?
The good news, however, is that post-quantum cryptography provides quantum-resistant signature schemes, mainly in two families: hash based and lattice based. Hash based are large signatures, very conservative but well studied. Lattice based are modern, more scalable and have seen less long-term study. Because nothing says “trust me” like a system that’s either “very old” or “very new, but also maybe a bit sketchy.”
While the math is just one piece of the puzzle, implementing it securely into signers is where things get tricky, Guillemet added. Because if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that security is just a fancy word for “hope for the best and pray the hackers are busy.”
What does post-quantum computing actually mean in daily life? Kicking off a series on PQC in hardware signers. @DonjonLedger explores what matters in practice: implementing PQ signatures inside Secure Elements under real embedded constraints and threat models. 🧵
– Charles Guillemet (@P3b7_) February 27, 2026
Hardware signers are now the gold standard for securing crypto, according to the Ledger CTO, as keys stay offline and signing happens inside a secure element. Because nothing says “I’m safe” like a device that’s basically a vault with a combination lock that only you know… but also has a guard dog that hates you.
Guillemet revealed that the ledger is currently working on post-quantum cryptography experiments, running software only (no hardware acceleration) implementations directly inside Secure Elements, however, RAM pressure and compute cost remain major bottlenecks. Because nothing says “innovation” like trying to run a quantum-resistant system on a toaster.
Seven million BTC at risk?
Experts warn that quantum computers powerful enough to break Bitcoin’s cryptography might put about seven million coins, including about one million attributed to Satoshi Nakamoto, at risk. Because nothing says “investment” like a digital currency that’s basically a treasure map with a “hidden” clue that’s just waiting for someone with a quantum computer to find it.
Seven million coins out of a 19.99 million BTC circulating supply are at risk due to this: in Bitcoin’s early years, pay-to-public-key (P2PK) transactions embedded public keys directly on-chain. Modern addresses often reveal only a hash of the key until coins are spent, but once a public key is exposed through early mining or address reuse, exposure remains permanent. In a well advanced quantum scenario, those keys could, in theory, be reversed. Because nothing says “security” like a system that’s basically a never-ending game of “Can you find the key before the quantum computer does?”
Crypto participants are already moving ahead of this threat. On Thursday, ETH cofounder Vitalik Buterin outlined a roadmap to secure the Ethereum blockchain from the long-term risks posed by quantum computers. Because nothing says “proactive” like planning for a threat that’s still in the “maybe someday” category.
Although practical quantum computers capable of breaking modern cryptography do not yet exist, they could eventually crack the digital signatures and cryptographic systems that secure Ethereum. Because nothing says “future-proof” like a system that’s vulnerable to a technology that’s still in the prototype phase… but also, you know, maybe not.
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2026-02-27 20:07