Ledger's CTO Warns About Cryptographic Advances Affecting Bitcoin

Two cryptographic advances announced on October 30, 2026, reduce the resources needed to breach Bitcoin's security. One improves a classical algorithm, while the other relates to quantum attack calculations. Charles Guillemet, CTO of Ledger, warned about these findings in a post on X, highlighting the importance of the news in the context of recent cyberattacks. Research from Ruhr University Bochum and the Max Planck Institute proposes a sub-exponential time algorithm to solve the discrete logarithm problem on elliptic curves, which is fundamental to Bitcoin's security. Although this new algorithm alters the mathematical relationship, its advantage only appears on extraordinarily large curve sizes, while for secp256k1, used by Bitcoin, the Pollard rho algorithm remains more efficient. The second advance relates to quantum computing, where the company Alice Bob estimates that attacking the secp256k1 curve could require up to 30,000 qubits and approximately one hour of processing. Additionally, the project ecdsa.fail has managed to reduce the cost of a circuit to attack ECDSA by 70%. However, these results do not allow for the breach of current keys, as they depend on conditions that do not yet exist on a large scale. The advances indicate that the theoretical requirements for attacking cryptography continue to decrease, underscoring the need to prepare for a transition to quantum-resistant systems.

This content is provided for general informational purposes only and doesn't constitute financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. Any events, rewards, online promotions, or related information mentioned herein should not be considered a recommendation, solicitation, or invitation to purchase, sell, trade, or otherwise deal in any crypto assets. Crypto assets are highly volatile and may result in loss. The availability of WEEX services, products, and related events may vary by region. You are responsible for ensuring that your participation is in accordance with applicable local laws and regulations.