Vitalik Buterin backs crypto ‘bunker mode’ amid rapid AI math advances

Ethereum researchers say crypto users should consider an orderly migration of funds to fresh addresses, warning AI could threaten private-key security before quantum computers do.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has backed a new warning that advances in artificial intelligence could undermine the cryptography used in today’s blockchains before quantum computers do. 

Buterin was responding to a post from Ethereum researcher Justin Drake on Wednesday urging the industry to prepare for “bunker mode,” as AI could eventually make it possible to break the elliptic curve digital signature algorithm (ECDSA) used to secure cryptocurrency wallets. Drake said users should begin a gradual migration of funds to fresh wallets where their public key is not exposed.

“I don’t recommend anyone scramble to move their funds to new wallets today,” Buterinwrote. “But we should take the risks to cryptography from AI-accelerated math seriously.”

Read more