Coinbase has launched an Independent Advisory Board on Quantum Computing and Blockchain to assess long-term cryptographic risks to Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum, and other chains. The board will operate independently, publishing position papers and issuing its first quantum resilience risk assessment early next year.
Quantum Threat Not Yet Here, But Preparation Starts Now
Large-scale quantum computers capable of breaking current cryptography do not yet exist, but Coinbase argues preparations must begin years in advance. Most major blockchains, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, rely on elliptic-curve cryptography, secure under current technology but potentially vulnerable to sufficiently powerful quantum machines. The advisory board includes leading cryptographers and researchers: Scott Aaronson, Dan Boneh, Justin Drake, Sreeram Kannan, Yehuda Lindell, and Dahlia Malkhi.
Coinbase said it will publish guidance for the crypto industry to prepare for potential quantum threats to blockchain security, ahead of technological developments that could compromise current cryptographic standards.
Tokenization Policy Paper: Birthplace Shouldn't Determine Investment Access
Separately, Coinbase released a policy paper outlining plans to expand access to global capital markets through blockchain-based tokenization. The paper states that structural barriers have excluded nearly two-thirds of the world's adult population from equity and bond investing. While more than half of adults in the United States invest in equities or bonds, participation falls below 10% in countries such as China and India.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong wrote in the paper that access to capital markets is largely determined by birthplace rather than talent, citing home bias that concentrates investors in local markets with limited exposure to global growth. Tokenization is positioned as a technical fix to overcome such geographic divides, enabling broader access to foreign assets.
The twin announcements—one focused on long-term cryptographic security, the other on immediate financial inclusion—underscore Coinbase's dual strategy: hardening blockchain infrastructure while expanding its use as a global financial platform.