Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has sounded the alarm about the potential disruption of cryptocurrencies in the era of quantum computing. He asserts that powerful quantum machines could begin to compromise cryptographic security within the next two decades, with a significant chance (around 20%) this could happen before 2030. This could lead to widespread breaches impacting financial systems and digital data. Buterin’s concerns are rooted in the fundamental nature of cryptography – its ability to safeguard digital transactions relies on algorithms resisting attacks from classical computers. Quantum computers, with their immense processing power, threaten to break these defenses, jeopardizing everything from online banking to cryptocurrency wallets and smart contracts.