AI Crushes HAWK-256 Signature Scheme in 60 Hours, Bitcoin's Post-Quantum Future Uncertain

An unreleased Anthropic AI model has broken the HAWK-256 post-quantum signature scheme in about 60 hours, raising concerns for Bitcoin's future.

The test was conducted by a researcher without formal training in cryptography and required approximately $100,000 worth of computation. The finding poses no immediate threat to Bitcoin as it was never used by the network, but it changes an important assumption behind Bitcoin's post-quantum roadmap: AI is making it faster and cheaper to test and break advanced cryptographic systems.

The attack revealed a concealed symmetry in the design of HAWK that caused its effectiveness to decline by 50% and reduced the anticipated amount of work needed from around 264 to 238 operations. The creators of HAWK have withdrawn the algorithm from public review, and experts consider it 'dead.'

The result highlights the acceleration of cryptanalysis due to AI and the urgent need for Bitcoin developers to prepare for a post-quantum transition. Analysts estimate that there are approximately 6.7 million Bitcoins worth nearly $600 billion sitting in wallets that could potentially come under threat from a sufficiently advanced quantum computer.