Justin Drake, known as an Ethereum researcher, has sounded the alarm, urging preparation for the possibility that major cryptocurrency signature schemes could be broken within months, driven by the rapid advancement of AI-powered mathematical analysis. This has sparked significant debate within the crypto asset community, with Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin also weighing in.
Here is a clear summary of the main points and the perspectives of both individuals.
1. Justin Drake’s proposed ‘Bunker Mode’
On the 7th, Drake expressed the view that due to the rapid evolution of mathematics and algorithm analysis utilizing AI, the risk of the signature schemes (ECDSA) used in many current crypto assets being broken has increased—not in years, but ‘in the worst case, within months’—without waiting for the arrival of quantum computers.
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Definition of ‘broken’: This refers to a state where, by combining existing hardware such as large-scale GPU clusters with AI, private keys could be derived in, for example, about a week.
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Recommended countermeasures: He is calling for the adoption of ‘Bunker Mode,’ which involves systematically moving assets to ‘new addresses that have never been used for signing (and have never moved funds)’ where the public key remains hidden by a hash.
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Priority of migration: While he encourages large holders and knowledgeable entities (such as exchanges and custodians) to proceed with migrating to secure addresses using cold storage, he also warns to proceed with caution, as hasty or rushed migrations carry the risk of asset loss due to errors.
2. Vitalik Buterin’s perspective and the risks of lattice-based cryptography
Buterin, who posted on the 8th, agrees with Drake that the mathematical advancements driven by AI should be ‘taken seriously’ as a risk to crypto assets. However, he shows a more cautious stance regarding the movement of funds and the design of future cryptographic technologies.
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Concerns regarding lattice-based cryptography: While it has generally been thought that ‘even if elliptic curve cryptography is broken, hashes and lattices are safe,’ Buterin points out that there is a significant possibility that weaknesses could be found in lattice-based cryptography itself due to the evolution of AI.
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Emphasis on hash-based cryptography: In the Ethereum roadmap, the direction is already shifting toward signature schemes based solely on hashes rather than lattices, and he argues that hash-based security should be prioritized more in the future.
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Risks in migration: Citing his own experience, Buterin stated, ‘The amount I have lost due to failed migrations is more than all the amounts I have lost to hacks combined,’ urging strong vigilance against errors caused by panicked fund transfers.
3. Summary: Impact on the crypto asset ecosystem
This discussion demonstrates that the evolution of AI poses a risk not only to cybersecurity but also directly to the ‘security of cryptographic algorithms’ themselves, which form the foundation of blockchain.
While not all funds are in immediate danger, there is a need to update security awareness in long-term asset management, including understanding the exposure status of public keys (such as Project Eleven’s ‘Bitcoin Risq List’) and keeping track of future technical standards (such as BIP 360).
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