- Google announced a 2029 deadline to migrate its systems to post‑quantum cryptography.
- The urgency comes from “store‑now, decrypt‑later” risks posed by advancing quantum computing.
- Bitcoin’s challenge could be migrating 6.5M + BTC from quantum-vulnerable addresses in 3 years.
Google set a public 2029 deadline for post-quantum cryptography (PQC) migration on March 25, 2026, warning that store-now-decrypt-later attacks threaten encryption today. This announcement signals that Bitcoin’s hardest coordination challenge could be to migrate 6.5M + BTC sitting in quantum-vulnerable addresses in a period of 3 years.
Google Sets A Public 2029 Post‑Quantum Migration
On March 25, 2026, Google publicly announced 2029 as the deadline for completing migration to post‑quantum cryptography (PQC) across its systems, including Chrome, Android, and core infrastructure. The company explained that this timeline reflects the urgency of preparing for quantum computing advances that will eventually break today’s encryption standards.
Google detailed its commitment to transitioning away from vulnerable algorithms like RSA and elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) toward quantum-resistant alternatives by 2029. Heather Adkins, Vice President of Security Engineering, and Sophie Schmieg, Senior Staff Cryptography Engineer, led the announcement and urged the entire industry to accelerate preparations.
For example, Google’s ongoing PQC commitments include Android 17 integrating PQC digital signature protection using ML-DSA, fully aligned with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This builds on Google’s existing support for PQC in Chrome and Cloud, putting advanced quantum-safe technology directly into users’ hands while providing leaders with insights and guidance as they navigate their PQC journey.
Urgency of Store‑Now, Decrypt‑Later Quantum Risks
The threats from quantum computing are already relevant today. Google explained that adversaries can now capture encrypted data and store it until a future Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computer (CRQC) is capable of breaking current standards such as RSA and elliptic curve cryptography.
This type of attack is known as a store‑now, decrypt‑later attack. Therefore, Google stressed that this makes migration critical not only for future data but also for protecting long-lived secrets and digital signatures that must remain secure for years or decades.
Notably, attackers focus on data with high long-term value (7+ years) that must remain confidential, such as national security intelligence, financial records, trade secrets, personal identification data, and legal or health records.
Related: Bitcoin Cash 2026 Prediction: May Upgrade Brings Quantum Security & Smart Contracts
What’s Next for Bitcoin’s Quantum‑Vulnerable Addresses?
JP Richards, CEO of Exodus Movement, Inc. (EXOD), warned that Bitcoin must migrate more than 6.5 million BTC currently in quantum‑vulnerable addresses within three years. These holdings rely on ECC, which Google has already identified as vulnerable to future CRQCs.
Unlike Google, which can enforce PQC migration across its own systems by 2029, Bitcoin’s decentralized governance requires consensus among miners, wallet providers, exchanges, and developers, making migration a far more complex coordination challenge.
ISACA’s Quantum Computing Pulse Poll (2025) shows the wider context:
- 95% of organizations lack a quantum computing roadmap, despite rising concerns.
- 62% of professionals fear quantum computers could break today’s encryption before PQC is implemented.
- 56% cite harvest‑now, decrypt‑later attacks as a major concern.
Therefore, Bitcoin faces a similar risk as unprepared organizations. Delaying quantum-safe migration could leave millions of coins in vulnerable addresses exposed. Success would allow Bitcoin to adopt quantum-resistant schemes like lattice-based cryptography, protecting trillions in assets, while failure within three years could let adversaries exploit data already being harvested today.
Related: Strategy Chairman Saylor Says Quantum Threat to Bitcoin Is Decade Away
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