Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has cautioned the cryptocurrency industry against hastily migrating funds to new wallets amid growing concerns over AI-accelerated threats to cryptography. In a recent post on X, Buterin advised against scrambling to move assets, noting that botched migrations have cost him more than hacks. He emphasized that while keeping assets in addresses that have never signed a transaction is a good precaution, rushing such moves can lead to significant losses.
Buterin's comments followed a post by Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake, who urged the industry to prepare for a potential 'bunker mode' due to the risk of the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) being broken before quantum computers reach full power. Drake suggested moving funds in a controlled manner to fresh addresses while avoiding panic. He warned that a worst-case scenario could see a breakthrough in cryptography within months rather than years.
The Ethereum founder highlighted that AI-accelerated math poses a significant risk to ECDSA, potentially causing it to fall faster than expected. He noted that most planning has assumed elliptic curves would be broken while hashes and lattices remain safe. Buterin warned that the concrete security of lattices could be severely impacted by advancements in AI math over the next two years, identifying ML-DSA, fully homomorphic encryption, and lattice schemes as key areas of risk.
Buterin also recommended that the industry adopt more conservative lattice parameters and prefer hash-based constructions where possible. For privacy protocols, he advised against putting encrypted notes on-chain, suggesting off-chain mechanisms instead. Despite the potential risks, he reiterated the importance of avoiding hasty moves, stating that misconfigured rushed upgrades can easily lead to lost funds.