Quantum Threats, AI Risks and Crypto Security: A Quick Take

Bitcoin’s core promise that only a private key can move coins is now being questioned by its own developers. A new proposal, BIP‑361, could force holders to move their assets to quantum‑safe addresses or risk having them frozen. The plan follows a Google report suggesting that future quantum computers might break Bitcoin’s security with far less power than earlier feared, pushing some experts to warn that 2029 could be the year quantum attacks become realistic. Meanwhile, the crypto world is looking ahead to AI agents that could handle everything from booking flights to making payments. A McKinsey study warns that the “LLM routers”—intermediaries that route user requests to AI models—could be a major attack point. These routers see all data passing through them, meaning users may unknowingly expose sensitive information to malicious actors.Security hiccups are also on the rise. Decentralized exchange CoW Swap paused its platform after a DNS hijacking attack redirected users to a fake site. Although the smart‑contract layer was untouched, the incident highlighted how front‑end weaknesses can still endanger users in DeFi. On a more positive note, the XRP Ledger has added native zero‑knowledge proof support via Boundless. This lets institutions confirm payments and balances without revealing details on the public chain, potentially easing regulatory concerns for banks and funds. Other headlines include a governance token unlock plan at World Liberty Financial that could change the economics for insiders, large Bitcoin movements into Winklevoss Capital’s wallets, and Pakistan lifting its crypto service ban while tightening bank involvement under a new Virtual Assets Act. In U. S. news, Coinbase’s international policy VP moved to OpenAI, underscoring the growing crossover between crypto and AI regulation.