Coinbase Assembles Expert Board to Future-Proof Bitcoin Against Quantum Computing Threats

Coinbase isn't waiting for quantum computers to crack Bitcoin's cryptography—it's building a shield today.

The Quantum Countdown Begins

While mainstream finance still debates blockchain basics, the crypto exchange is tackling a threat most traditional banks haven't even Googled. Quantum computing promises to shatter current encryption standards, potentially exposing every digital wallet and transaction. Coinbase's new advisory board pulls together cryptographers and quantum researchers in a preemptive strike against that future.

Building the Next-Gen Defense

The move signals a shift from theoretical worry to practical engineering. The team will explore post-quantum cryptography—algorithms even quantum machines can't break. It's a complex, costly arms race most firms ignore until it's too late. For an industry built on 'don't trust, verify,' upgrading that verification system is existential.

Why This Matters Now

Practical quantum computers remain years away, but the encryption protecting billions in Bitcoin today could be retroactively decrypted later if data is harvested now. That creates a silent urgency—a 'harvest now, decrypt later' risk that makes proactive defense non-negotiable. Wall Street still treats crypto like a speculative toy, but you don't see JPMorgan forming quantum task forces, do you?

The Bigger Picture

This isn't just about protecting Coinbase's platform. It's about ensuring Bitcoin's entire value proposition—secure, decentralized digital gold—survives the next technological leap. If the foundation cracks, the whole house falls. The board's work could set the standard for the entire crypto ecosystem, forcing every player to level up or get left behind.

So while traders chase the next meme coin pump, the real story is playing out in research labs. The future of money depends on math most of us will never understand—and a few experts are quietly rewriting the rules before the quantum clock strikes zero.

Coinbase Launches Independent Advisory Board to Address Quantum Computing Risks

To address that possibility, Coinbase is forming the Coinbase Independent Advisory Board on Quantum Computing and Blockchain, bringing together leading researchers to assess emerging risks and offer guidance to developers, institutions, and users.

According to Coinbase, the board will operate independently and publish position papers evaluating the state of quantum computing and its implications for blockchain security.

It will also issue practical recommendations on how individuals and organizations can prepare for long-term quantum threats, and provide timely analysis when major breakthroughs in quantum research occur.

The advisory board includes several prominent figures from cryptography, quantum computing, and blockchain research.

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Members include Scott Aaronson, a leading quantum computing researcher and director of the Quantum Information Center at the University of Texas at Austin, Stanford cryptography professor Dan Boneh, ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake, EigenLayer founder Sreeram Kannan, Coinbase head of cryptography Yehuda Lindell, and Dahlia Malkhi, a specialist in secure distributed systems and head of the UCSB Foundations of Fintech Research Lab.

Coinbase says the group’s collective expertise is intended to help the industry MOVE beyond theoretical discussions and toward concrete planning.

While large-scale quantum computers capable of breaking current cryptography do not yet exist, the company argues that preparation must begin years in advance.

Coinbase plans to publish the board’s first position paper early next year, outlining a baseline assessment of quantum-related risks and potential paths toward resilience.

Coinbase Says Tokenization Can Open Global Capital Markets to Billions Left Out

As reported, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has outlined a plan to expand access to global capital markets through blockchain-based tokenization, arguing that billions of adults remain locked out of equity and bond investing.

In a new policy paper, Coinbase says structural barriers have excluded nearly two-thirds of the world’s adult population from wealth creation as returns on capital continue to outpace wages.

The paper highlights sharp geographic and economic divides in market participation. While more than half of adults in the US invest in equities or bonds, participation falls below 10% in countries such as China and India.

Armstrong argues that access is largely determined by where someone is born, not their talent, pointing to extreme home bias that keeps investors concentrated in local markets despite limited exposure to global growth.