AI Could Break Encryption Algorithms, Ethereum Researchers Call for "Bunker Mode"
According to Cointelegraph, Ethereum researcher Justin Drake warned that the rapid advancement of AI could accelerate mathematical attacks against the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA), potentially breaking existing cryptographic systems within months under the worst-case scenario, and called on the industry to initiate "bunker mode"—transferring assets to new addresses with previously unexposed public keys to mitigate risk.
Several industry insiders, however, expressed reservations. Coinbase Chief Cryptographer Yehuda Lindell stated there is currently "no evidence" that the mathematical assumptions underpinning ECDSA have been weakened; Trezor Bitcoin analyst Lucien Bourdon similarly noted that migrating assets could backfire and inadvertently create opportunities for scams. MetaMask founder Taylor Monahan was even more direct, asserting that if elliptic curve cryptography were truly compromised, "the entire world would go to zero," rendering bunker mode ineffective.
Meanwhile, Ethereum has laid out a post-quantum roadmap based on hash-based signatures and ZK proofs, while public blockchains such as Solana and NEAR are also exploring their own quantum-safe alternatives, though concrete deployment timelines remain unset.
