XRP Outperforms Bitcoin in Quantum Risk Exposure

Concerns about quantum computing and its potential impact on blockchain security are resurfacing, with many networks beginning to take steps to anticipate future cryptographic threats.

Recent analysis by an XRP Ledger validator (XRPL) shows that XRP
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may face significantly lower quantum computing threat risks compared to Bitcoin
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, mainly due to differences in account activity and key exposure levels on the two networks.

Quantum Computing and Crypto: Why XRP Exposure Is Very Minimal

Quantum computers theoretically could pose a threat to blockchain wallets because they can derive private keys from exposed public keys. However, this risk typically only applies to addresses whose public keys have already been revealed on the network, usually when funds are spent.

According to the validator, about 300,000 XRP accounts holding a total of 2.4 billion XRP have never made a transaction. Since their public keys have never been exposed, these accounts are less likely to be targeted by quantum attacks based on current threat models.

The validator also identified two XRP wallets holding around 21 million XRP that have been inactive for over 5 years, even though their public keys have been exposed. This indicates that “whale” accounts vulnerable to quantum threats on the XRP Ledger make up only about 0.03% of the total supply.

“Dormant and vulnerable XRP whales are almost nonexistent. The rest are active, and their public keys are exposed, but it still makes sense to rotate keys if needed,” said the validator. “The XRP Ledger is account-based and allows for signing key rotation, so you can rotate the key signing transactions on behalf of an account without changing the account itself. Of course, this is not a perfect solution, and truly quantum-resistant algorithms will eventually be adopted.”

The structural gap between XRP Ledger and Bitcoin in this regard is quite significant. According to a recent paper from Google, about 6.7 million BTC are currently stored in addresses vulnerable to quantum attacks. This amount accounts for nearly 32% of the total Bitcoin supply.

This figure also includes an estimated 1 million BTC believed to belong to Satoshi Nakamoto. Charlie Lee, the founder of Litecoin
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, recently warned that Satoshi’s Bitcoin could become a target if quantum capabilities continue to advance.

“One million Bitcoin belonging to Satoshi. No one knows who Satoshi is… Those coins are actually not well protected. Compared to current coins, they are even less secure against quantum attacks. If quantum really happens, those coins will be the first to be cracked,” Lee told BeInCrypto.

Despite these differences, the validator emphasized that currently, no quantum computer can truly break blockchain encryption. Additionally, XRP users can leverage escrow mechanisms as an extra layer of protection.

For now, these findings imply that although quantum risk must continue to be monitored, XRP’s current exposure remains limited, especially concerning dormant large holders.

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