A a16z sees quantum risk as distant and exaggerated. Blockchains are currently facing more urgent challenges: governance, bugs, and code security. Planning makes sense, running does not.

a16z Crypto has released an analysis suggesting that concerns about quantum computing threatening cryptocurrencies are often exaggerated. According to PANews, the likelihood of a quantum computer capable of causing real-world disruption emerging before 2030 is very low. The article highlights that mainstream digital signature schemes and zero-knowledge systems like zkSNARKs are not easily susceptible to quantum attacks that follow a 'collect now, decrypt later' model. Prematurely transitioning blockchain systems to quantum-resistant solutions could introduce performance issues, engineering immaturity, and potential security flaws.a16z further emphasizes that compared to the yet-to-materialize quantum risks, major public blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum currently face more immediate challenges. These include the complexity of protocol upgrades, governance issues, and vulnerabilities in implementation layer code. The firm advises developers to plan quantum-resistant paths based on a reasonable assessment of timeframes rather than rushing into migrations. It also notes that in the foreseeable future, traditional security issues such as code defects, side-channel attacks, and fault injections should take precedence over quantum computing concerns. Resources should be focused on enhancing audits, fuzz testing, and formal verification.