BlackRock, Coinbase, and Strategy Back $15M Bitcoin Quantum Security Push

• Nine financial and Bitcoin companies pledged $15 million for security research and open-source development.
• Members will direct their contributions independently rather than placing funds under consortium control.
• Post-quantum cryptography forms the consortium’s first focus as developers assess future wallet risks.

BlackRock, Coinbase, and Strategy have joined six other companies in a coordinated effort to support Bitcoin’s long-term security. Members pledged a combined $15 million over three years for developer funding, research, and public education.

Quantum computing forms an early focus, although machines capable of breaking Bitcoin’s cryptography do not currently exist. Developers still face a lengthy process involving research, testing, and adoption across wallets, exchanges, miners, and users. 

Nine Firms Join the Security Consortium

Founding members include Anchorage Digital, ARK Invest, BlackRock, Block, Blockstream, Coinbase, Fidelity Digital Assets, Galaxy, and Strategy. Their businesses cover asset management, custody, exchange services, payments, and Bitcoin infrastructure.

Mike Schmidt, executive director of developer-funding nonprofit Brink, will coordinate daily consortium work voluntarily. Members plan to support researchers and developers already working on Bitcoin security rather than create a separate technical team. 

Each company will choose its own recipients and direct its contribution independently. Consequently, the consortium will not hold the pledged funds or decide how the full $15 million gets distributed.

Individual contribution amounts, initial recipients, and the share representing new funding were not disclosed. Members also did not provide a fixed schedule for awarding funds during the three years. 

Group Avoids Bitcoin Protocol Governance

Consortium members said the initiative will not develop or control Bitcoin’s protocol. It will also avoid supporting specific proposals or speaking for developers working across the decentralized network.

Robert Mitchnick, BlackRock’s global head of digital assets, said Bitcoin Core developers perform essential work. He added that participating firms would provide further funding for long-term security needs. 

Funding will follow the existing open-source structure, where independent organizations support contributors without controlling their decisions. Members also plan to publish updated material explaining Bitcoin security work to investors, media outlets, and the public.

Strategy CEO Phong Le linked the initiative to the interests of long-term Bitcoin holders. He said supporting developers and improving public information offered participating companies a direct way to contribute. 

Related: Bitwise CIO Sees Hyperliquid, Robinhood Leading Crypto’s Next Bull Cycle

Quantum Research Becomes the First Focus

Bitcoin uses elliptic-curve cryptography to authorize spending, which a sufficiently advanced quantum computer could theoretically break. Current machines cannot perform that attack, but implementing network-wide protections could require several years. 

One proposal under review is BIP 360, also called Pay-to-Merkle-Root. It introduces an output structure intended to reduce prolonged public-key exposure without immediately adding post-quantum signatures.

BIP 360 addresses long-exposure attacks, but it does not fully protect transactions during the shorter period before confirmation. Wider protection may require post-quantum signature schemes and coordinated wallet migrations. 

Galaxy separately committed up to $5 million for signature research, migration tools, and security audits. CoinDesk reported that the consortium has not clarified whether Galaxy’s separate commitment forms part of the collective $15 million pledge.