AI Could Damage Crypto in 2 Years, Warns Ethereum's Vitalik Buterin

The AI Threat to Crypto Lattices

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has warned that AI-driven mathematical breakthroughs could weaken lattice-based cryptography within two years, potentially breaking the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) behind Bitcoin and ETH wallets.

Why Lattices Are Suddenly in Doubt

Buterin said most people have assumed elliptic curves are vulnerable while hashes and lattices stay safe. He now questions the lattice half of that view.

The Risks of AI-Driven Math

If AI delivers 50 years of math in two years, Buterin argued, lattices could face a similar hit. Hashes are designed without exploitable structure, which Buterin sees as a safer bet than curves or lattices.

What About Bitcoin?

Bitcoin also relies on elliptic curve signatures, so Drake's warning applies there too. He said ECDSA could break within months in the worst case.

What Should Holders Do Now?

Buterin advised keeping funds in addresses that have never sent a transaction, if that is easy to do. He cautioned that he has personally lost more money to botched migrations than to every hack combined.

The Road Ahead

Ethereum's roadmap has shifted toward hash-only designs for a year, and Buterin's warning is a reminder that the stakes reach past blockchains. Public-key encryption cannot rely on hashes alone, so secure messaging, virtual private networks, and website access depend on structured math.

The Call to Action

Buterin suggests multiplying key sizes by 10 to ensure the long-term security of crypto assets.