Artificial intelligence poses a more immediate threat to Bitcoin’s security than quantum computing, Swan Bitcoin founder, Cory Klippsten, said, warning that hackers are increasingly using large language models to identify and exploit software vulnerabilities.
Speaking on a podcast, Klippsten said AI-assisted attacks were emerging as a more pressing concern for cryptocurrency companies than the prospect of quantum computers eventually breaking the cryptography underpinning digital assets.
“The near-term threat is actually AI,” Klippsten said, citing hackers’ growing use of large language models to probe security weaknesses.
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His comments come amid a series of cryptocurrency security breaches, including a reported $6.3 billion theft from Binance on October 29 2026 which the FBI attributed to North Korean hackers, and a crypto hack at Brazil’s largest crypto exchange, Mercado Bitcoin, that prompted the exchange to suspend deposits and withdrawals.
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Klippsten said quantum computers capable of compromising Bitcoin’s cryptography were likely at least a decade away giving developers time to introduce protections against the technology.
He cautioned against rushing quantum-resistant upgrades arguing that poorly implemented security changes could introduce additional vulnerabilities into cryptocurrency networks.
The debate over quantum computing risks has intensified as researchers report advances in developing algorithms that could reduce the computing resources required to compromise existing cryptographic systems.
A sufficiently powerful quantum computer could potentially derive private keys from exposed public keys allowing attackers to spend Bitcoin held in vulnerable addresses.
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Klippsten also questioned whether some cryptocurrency companies were exaggerating the urgency of quantum threats to attract investment describing much of the discussion as fear, uncertainty, and doubt.
His warning highlights the growing challenge facing cryptocurrency companies as AI tools lower the technical barriers to identifying software weaknesses while the industry continues to prepare for longer-term threats to blockchain cryptography.
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