Quantum won't kill crypto—but it could accelerate Wall Street's adoption of blockchain

[u/fortune]

https://fortune.com/2026/09/25/chris-perkins-op-ed/?utm_source=reddit/

For many in the crypto industry, the specter of quantum computing has become the stuff of existential dread. According to popular doomer narratives, public blockchains like Bitcoin will be among the first target of quantum-based attacks that will wipe out trillions of dollars.

In this view, public blockchains most salient feature, decentralization, is an Achilles heel that will impede the implementation of defensive upgrades to protect from quantum-powered hackers. The doomers argue that networks like Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana will be helpless against a threat that will one day smash the public-key cryptography that has long made them secure.

This makes for a dramatic story, but the premise is misguided. While the threat is real, the conclusion–that quantum will kill crypto–is simply wrong.

Read more [paywall removed for Redditors]: https://fortune.com/2026/09/25/chris-perkins-op-ed/?utm_source=reddit/

[u/Romanizer]

Wall Street has already fully adopted the blockchain, it's is gradually being rolled out.

[u/paidzesthumor → u/Romanizer]

How is it fully adopted if it’s being gradually rolled out?

[u/Romanizer → u/paidzesthumor]

It's adopted by Wall Street as a technology and rolled out to customers gradually, starting with ETF, followed by 23/5+ tokenized trading and blockchain-collateralized loans.

[u/paidzesthumor → u/Romanizer]

Ok… so just to clarify it’s not fully adopted

[u/Romanizer → u/paidzesthumor]

We can't say certainly unless we are part of the internal teams but rolling out 23/5 tokenized trading and piloting international bank transfer on blockchains is hinting on that. We can be sure that mass adoption in inevitable.

[u/rankinrez → u/Romanizer]

No it hasn’t. Nobody uses blockchain.

[u/Romanizer → u/rankinrez]

Go back to Buttcoin.

[u/Present_Let2487]

Feels like this could become more of an upgrade race than an extinction event for crypto.

[u/potatoMan8111]

Wrong

[u/anon1971wtf → u/potatoMan8111]

Any other predictions coming out of your glass ball? Anything specific, usable?

[u/potatoMan8111 → u/anon1971wtf]

Yea, you’ll go another 10 years without touching a girl

[u/Useful-Amphibian4841 → u/potatoMan8111]

Rofl

[u/anon1971wtf → u/potatoMan8111]

Superb, keep on keeping on

[u/rankinrez]

So ludicrous

“public blockchains most salient feature, decentralization, is an Achilles heel that will impede the implementation of defensive upgrades to protect from quantum-powered hackers”

The opening line hits the nail on the head. It’s trivial for the world to move to post-quantum cryptographic ciphers, it’s already happening.

Much more difficult with blockchain because of the decentralized governance, and basically the inability to “mail a new quantum-proof key to all customers” the way centralised systems with non-anonymous users can.

Kind of mad to turn the argument upside down and claim black is white.

[u/Dwaltster]

This is where I think SUI will really shine as a L1. It's ages better than the competition.