Quantum risk is real, but not all crypto wallets are equally vulnerable 🔐

The topic of a quantum threat to crypto is gaining momentum again, but it is important not to reduce everything here to a simple alarming headline. Galaxy pointed to a key detail: the risk is real, but it does not affect all wallets equally. Most users today are not in a zone of direct vulnerability, and that is an important clarification amid the louder discussions about the future security of digital assets.

What the problem is

According to Galaxy’s assessment, the critical risk does not arise for all wallets across the board, but primarily in cases where the public key has already been revealed onchain. That is when a theoretical scenario appears in which a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could use that key to recover the private key and forge a signature. The report states directly that most wallets today are not vulnerable precisely because their public keys have not yet been revealed on the network.

Who faces greater risk

Galaxy describes two main categories of exposure. The first includes wallets whose public keys have long been visible on the blockchain, including certain older address formats and cases of address reuse. The second includes wallets where the key is revealed at the moment funds are spent, meaning the risk appears during the transaction itself while it is still unconfirmed. That is why the level of threat depends not on the mere fact of owning crypto, but on whether the public key has become visible to the network.

• higher risk applies to wallets with already revealed public keys
• lower risk applies to wallets where the key is still hidden
• the threat itself depends on the address type and user behavior

Why it matters now

Against the backdrop of discussions about quantum computing, the market easily slides into extremes: either complete denial of the problem or panic. Galaxy’s position looks more grounded. The team acknowledges that the threat is real, but emphasizes that the current situation does not mean the same level of danger for all crypto holders. In addition, work is already underway across the ecosystem on possible ways to protect Bitcoin in a post-quantum scenario, although the timeline for the arrival of a truly powerful quantum computer remains uncertain.

Conclusion

The main conclusion here is fairly sober: the quantum risk to crypto is not invented, but it is not universal for all wallets at once either. The level of threat depends on whether the public key has been revealed and on the exact format in which funds are stored or spent. For the market, this is an important signal because it shifts the focus away from general panic toward a more precise understanding of who is actually vulnerable and why.