Why Michael Saylor Doesn’t See Quantum Computing as Bitcoin’s Top Security Threat Yet

Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) co-founder and executive chairman Michael Saylor said he does not believe quantum computing represents Bitcoin’s (BTC) greatest security threat at the moment.

This statement comes as the quantum computing narrative continues to be a focus of debate among crypto circles. Some argue that it has already started to impact Bitcoin’s valuation and institutional exposure.

Michael Saylor Dismisses Quantum Threat to Bitcoin

During an appearance on Natalie Brunell’s Coin Stories podcast, Saylor weighed in on growing concerns over quantum computing. He said the broader cybersecurity community generally agrees that any meaningful quantum-related risk remains at least a decade away. Saylor added that it’s not a “this decade thing.”

“Whether or not there will be a quantum threat or a quantum risk is a question that is yet to be decided. But there’s certainly no consensus that there is any threat right now or that there will be a threat materializing anytime soon,” he commented. “I don’t actually think that the quantum, you know, narrative is the greatest security threat to Bitcoin right now. I don’t think it has been.”

He emphasized that major breakthrough quantum capabilities would not catch the industry off guard. If a quantum threat materialized, global banking systems, internet infrastructure, consumer devices, artificial intelligence (AI) networks, and crypto protocols, including Bitcoin, would coordinate software upgrades to quantum-resistant cryptography. 

Previously, Saylor has suggested that Bitcoin’s greatest threat comes from ambitious opportunists pushing for changes to the protocol.

“The software does change. If you’ve got 30 versions of Bitcoin core in an asset which is 17 years old, do the math in your head and figure out how long it takes for versions of this stuff to roll out. The nodes will upgrade, the hardware will upgrade, the wallets will upgrade, the exchanges will upgrade. How will they upgrade? Well, wait 10 years. There will be global consensus about the best way to deal with it. There is no global consensus right now because there isn’t a credible threat right now,” he added.

Saylor also downplayed fears of Bitcoin facing isolated vulnerability. He noted that major corporations, financial institutions, and governments worldwide rely on digital systems that would face similar exposure in the event of a credible quantum breakthrough.

Companies such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Coinbase, and BlackRock, alongside global governments and major banks, would all be confronting the same challenge.

“When and if it materializes, I expect that there will be some software or hardware or both reaction to it. The crypto community is actually the most sophisticated cybersecurity community,” he remarked. “So I think that the crypto security community will be the first, you know, to perceive the threat and to react to the threat, and they’ll be leading the way.”

From Wall Street to Core Devs: Crypto Braces for the Quantum Era

While the technical threat may be distant, institutional capital appears to be pricing in uncertainty. Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary recently stated that many institutions are capping their Bitcoin exposure due to concerns over quantum computing.

Christopher Wood, Global Head of Equity Strategy at Jefferies, has removed Bitcoin from his model portfolio over similar fears. Meanwhile, analysts including Willy Woo and Charles Edwards argue that quantum-related uncertainty could be contributing to Bitcoin’s relative underperformance against gold and weighing on its price.

As the debate intensifies, defensive measures are accelerating across the industry. Ethereum has incorporated post-quantum readiness into its planned 2026 protocol priorities update. Coinbase and Optimism are also actively planning post-quantum security enhancements.

On the Bitcoin side, developers have merged Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 360 (BIP 360) into the official BIP GitHub repository.