Ethereum Seen as Better Positioned Than Bitcoin if Quantum Risks Materialise, Analyst Says

Market Context
The crypto-asset market is increasingly considering not just traditional risks like regulation or macro-economics, but also technological disruption—specifically the prospect of quantum computing breaking the cryptographic foundations of blockchains. In this landscape, narratives that stress technological resilience and future-proofing are gaining traction. Ethereum’s positioning as a smart-contract platform with an active development roadmap may make it more attractive to certain long-term investors worried about structural tech risks. Meanwhile, Bitcoin, long seen as the “digital gold” of crypto, may face growing questions about its upgrade agility in the face of quantum threats.

Technical Details with Attribution

• The concern stems from the fact that both Bitcoin and Ethereum currently rely on elliptic-curve cryptography (ECDSA/secp256k1 or similar) for account security, which in theory could be compromised by sufficiently advanced quantum computing (e.g., via Shor’s algorithm). 
• Analysts note that Ethereum’s architecture and governance model enable it to more readily incorporate post-quantum cryptographic upgrades and that the community is discussing quantum-resilient transitions. 
• In contrast, Bitcoin’s upgrade process is often slower and more conservative, which could leave it at greater risk if a quantum “breakthrough” arrives earlier than expected.

Analyst Perspectives
From the analyst’s viewpoint:

• Ethereum’s active roadmap, vibrant developer community and smart-contract utility provide more levers to adjust protocol security ahead of a quantum event.
• Bitcoin’s strength—its immutable, conservative design—could become a weakness in this scenario, as slower governance may delay necessary post-quantum changes.
• However, the analyst cautions that this is not a guarantee of outperformance: quantum risk remains speculative and far in the future, and other factors (adoption, regulation, macro) continue to dominate near-term performance.

Global Impact Note
If quantum computing begins to pose a credible threat to blockchain cryptography, the relative value proposition of different networks could shift fundamentally. A platform seen as “quantum-ready” may attract more institutional interest and capital. Globally, this could spur accelerated protocol upgrades across major networks, increase demand for post-quantum cryptography research in the crypto space, and reshape which digital-assets are considered safe for long-term holdings. It could also influence where custodians, exchanges and institutional allocators place their bets.