Bitcoin’s quantum-security debate is starting to show up as an economic concern, not just a technical one. In Cointelegraph’s latest Crypto Biz roundup, the publication tied that discussion to three other developments this week: Ripple’s US federal banking charter, USDC’s growing share of euro stablecoin trading and VanEck’s decision to add Bitcoin exposure to a new multi-asset ETF.
Stacks founder says quantum fears are already weighing on Bitcoin adoption
Muneeb Ali, founder of Bitcoin layer-2 project Stacks, said Bitcoin could face a much more serious security problem if developers fail to make meaningful progress toward quantum resistance by 2028. Speaking on Cointelegraph’s Chain Reaction podcast, Ali said the network needs a credible roadmap for becoming quantum-resistant, with visible progress required within the next few years.
He pointed to 2030 as the target for completing the shift to quantum-resistant security, citing guidance from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. At the same time, he said advances in artificial intelligence could pull that deadline closer.
Ali stressed that even if developers agree on the right technical path, implementation could still take years. After that, Bitcoin holders would need additional time to move their coins into quantum-resistant addresses.
Some in the industry do not agree that the threat is urgent. Ali’s argument is that uncertainty alone can damage investor confidence. He also said that if a quantum breakthrough ever became capable of compromising Bitcoin, the fallout would extend beyond Bitcoin itself and hit the wider crypto market.
In his view, the issue is already affecting institutional demand. BitBo data shows US spot Bitcoin ETFs have accumulated more than $104 billion in net assets, yet Ali said long-term security doubts can still complicate the case for investors who buy Bitcoin as a hedge against currency debasement. He added that Bitcoin has only a few years to prepare and that the transition itself may take years because the network has a long history of slow and contentious upgrades.
Ripple receives final approval for a US national trust bank
Ripple has received final approval from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to establish a national trust bank. The approval clears the last regulatory step after the company secured conditional approval in December 2025.
The new entity, Ripple National Trust Bank, will operate under federal supervision. It will manage reserves backing Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin, act as a collateral trustee for tokenholders and provide digital-asset custody. RLUSD will continue to be issued by Standard Custody & Trust Company, which is regulated by the New York Department of Financial Services.
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse welcomed the decision, saying 「crypto and banks work better together」.
The move follows a similar final approval granted to Circle in July. Coinbase, Crypto.com and Bridge, which is owned by Stripe, remain at the conditional-approval stage. National trust banks differ from traditional commercial banks in key ways: they generally cannot accept deposits, cannot issue loans and do not carry Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation coverage.
USDC moves ahead of USDt in euro trading under MiCA rules
Circle’s USDC has overtaken Tether’s USDt in euro-denominated stablecoin trading as European Union rules reshape the market for dollar-backed stablecoins.
According to a new report from Kaiko, USDC now accounts for 56% of euro stablecoin trading, up from 10% in January 2024. The shift accelerated after major crypto exchanges restricted USDt trading for customers in the European Economic Area in order to comply with the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, or MiCA.
Kaiko said USDC’s euro order books are now about 40% deeper than USDt’s, a sign of stronger liquidity for traders. Even so, USDT remains the dominant stablecoin globally, with circulating supply roughly 2.5 times larger than USDC’s.
The report came after the European Banking Authority designated USDC as the bloc’s first “significant e-money token,” placing it under additional regulatory oversight. Kaiko also said the US GENIUS Act could trigger similar changes in stablecoin trading, depending on how exchanges apply the new requirements.
VanEck adds Bitcoin exposure to a new multi-asset ETF
VanEck, which manages $244 billion in assets, has launched an actively managed exchange-traded fund that combines stocks, bonds, real assets and a small Bitcoin allocation.
The fund, VanEck Wealth Builder ETF (NYSE: WBMO), was announced on Tuesday. It invests through a mix of VanEck and third-party ETFs and targets a 2% Bitcoin allocation, with room to range from 1% to 5%.
Rather than holding Bitcoin directly, the ETF gets its exposure through a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded product. The launch also folds VanEck’s existing Wealth Builder model portfolios into a single ETF structure.
David Schassler, VanEck’s head of multi-asset solutions, said the traditional 60/40 stock-and-bond portfolio was built for a different investment environment. He said adding real assets can help investors handle a wider set of economic conditions, with Bitcoin now included as a small part of that approach.
