Coinbase forms quantum risk board to protect Bitcoin, blockchains

Coinbase launches an independent quantum risk board for Bitcoin and blockchains and unveils a tokenization plan to open global capital markets to more investors.
Summary

• Coinbase created an Independent Advisory Board on Quantum Computing and Blockchain to assess long-term cryptographic risks to Bitcoin, Ethereum and other chains.
• The board, featuring leading cryptographers and researchers, will publish position papers and a first risk assessment on quantum resilience early next year.
• A separate Coinbase policy paper pushes tokenization as a way to expand global access to equities and bonds, arguing birthplace still shapes capital access.

Coinbase has established an independent advisory board to address potential long-term risks quantum computing poses to Bitcoin (BTC) and the broader blockchain ecosystem, the cryptocurrency exchange announced.

The company stated it will publish guidance for the crypto industry to prepare for potential quantum threats to blockchain security in advance of technological developments that could compromise current cryptographic standards.

Quantum computers, if developed at scale, could disrupt multiple industries including healthcare, finance, and national security, according to the announcement. For blockchain networks, the implications present particular concerns, as most major chains including Bitcoin and Ethereum rely on elliptic-curve cryptography, a system considered secure under current technology but potentially vulnerable to sufficiently powerful quantum machines.

The Coinbase Independent Advisory Board on Quantum Computing and Blockchain will bring together researchers to assess emerging risks and offer guidance to developers, institutions, and users, according to the company. The board will operate independently and publish position papers evaluating the state of quantum computing and its implications for blockchain security.

The advisory board includes Scott Aaronson, Dan Boneh, Justin Drake, Sreeram Kannan, Yehuda Lindell, and Dahlia Malkhi, representing expertise in cryptography, quantum computing, and blockchain research.

Large-scale quantum computers capable of breaking current cryptography do not yet exist, though Coinbase stated that preparation must begin years in advance. The company plans to publish the board’s first position paper early next year, outlining an assessment of quantum-related risks and potential paths toward resilience.

Separately, Coinbase released a policy paper outlining plans to expand access to global capital markets through blockchain-based tokenization. The paper stated that structural barriers have excluded nearly two-thirds of the world’s adult population from equity and bond investing.

The document highlighted geographic and economic divides in market participation, noting that while more than half of adults in the United States invest in equities or bonds, participation falls below 10 percent in countries such as China and India.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong stated in the paper that access to capital markets is largely determined by birthplace rather than talent, citing home bias that concentrates investors in local markets with limited exposure to global growth.