XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) could be structurally better prepared than Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) to handle long-term risks from quantum computing, according to industry experts, though the threat remains largely theoretical.
XRP’s Relative Protection
The primary concern stems from quantum machines using Shor’s algorithm to derive private keys from public keys, potentially allowing attackers to access wallets, Coindesk reported, citing experts.
This risk emerges only after a public key is exposed, typically when a user sends a transaction.
Wallets that have only received funds remain protected because their public keys are not revealed on-chain.
On the XRP Ledger, roughly 300,000 accounts holding 2.4 billion XRP have never sent funds, making them inherently more resistant to such attacks.
Only about 0.03% of supply is considered exposed through previously active but now dormant accounts.
XRP also includes features such as key rotation, allowing users to update signing keys without moving funds, and escrow time locks, which add an additional layer of protection through logic-based restrictions.
However, inactive accounts could still face risk if users are unable to update their keys.
BTC’s Structural Challenges
Bitcoin faces a broader theoretical risk due to aspects of its early design.
A portion of BTC was stored using formats that exposed public keys without requiring a transaction, including wallets believed to be associated with Satoshi Nakamoto.
Estimates suggest around 6.9 million BTC, or roughly 35% of circulating supply, could be vulnerable under a quantum attack scenario.
Additionally, Bitcoin lacks a native key rotation mechanism.
To enhance security, users must move funds to new addresses, a process that temporarily exposes public keys in the network’s memory pool for about 10 minutes, creating a potential attack window.
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