Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin warned Wednesday that AI-accelerated mathematical research could expose weaknesses in cryptographic systems long assumed secure.
Buterin said users should not rush to move funds, though unused addresses could limit exposure if AI makes ECDSA, a form of cryptography widely used to sign blockchain transactions, easier to break. Botched migrations carry risks, he wrote on X.
Nine hours earlier, Justin Drake, who is spearheading Lean Ethereum, urged holders in a separate X post to prepare for “bunker mode.”
Both raised the possibility that AI could uncover attacks before the arrival of mature quantum computers – flagged a long time ago as an existential threat to blockchain systems including Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Buterin said Lean Ethereum favors hash-based signatures because hashes contain less structure for AI to exploit. Public-key encryption cannot rely on hashes alone.
The DeAI angle: AI is becoming a potential adversary to decentralized infrastructure that relies on advanced cryptography, testing whether open networks can upgrade security without panic or centralized coordination.
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