Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, warned that AI-driven mathematical advancements could compromise lattice-based cryptography within two years. He noted that these developments might also threaten the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA), which secures Bitcoin and Ethereum wallets, potentially faster than previously anticipated.
Buterin highlighted that while lattice math currently supports quantum-resistant standards like ML-DSA and Fully Homomorphic Encryption, AI could discover shortcuts to solve these puzzles. He compared this risk to historical factoring breakthroughs that forced encryption keys to expand over decades. Consequently, Ethereum is shifting its roadmap toward hash-based signature schemes such as SPHINCS and WOTS.
Justin Drake, an Ethereum researcher, suggested that ECDSA could face critical vulnerabilities within months. He pointed to the 'risq list' by Project11, which tracks exposed Bitcoin public keys. Drake noted that 'Satoshi’s shield' provides partial protection for approximately 20,000 addresses linked to Satoshi Nakamoto, each containing 50 BTC.
Drake recommended that major platforms, including Binance, Bitbank, Robinhood, Bitfinex, and Tether, should strengthen their cold storage security. Buterin advised users against rushing to move funds, citing personal experience with losses from failed migrations. He suggested keeping assets in addresses that have never initiated a transaction.
For multisig wallets, Buterin advocates for offchain confirmations to prevent them from becoming single-signer vulnerabilities if ECDSA is compromised. He also recommends sending encrypted notes for privacy protocols through third-party channels. Buterin suggests that for long-term security, key sizes should be increased by a factor of 10.
