Google Sets 2029 Deadline - 7 Million BTC Face Quantum Threat

On March 28, 2026, Google published an updated timeline for migrating its infrastructure to post-quantum cryptography, setting a 2029 deadline. This is the most aggressive timeline among major tech companies, and it has direct implications for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the entire blockchain industry.

Why Google is rushing: 2029 instead of 2035

Google VP of Security Engineering Heather Adkins and Senior Staff Cryptographer Sophie Schmieg cited faster-than-expected progress in quantum hardware, error correction, and factoring resource estimates as the reason for accelerating the timeline. The "harvest now, decrypt later" threat is already relevant: attackers can intercept encrypted data today to decrypt it once quantum computers become available.

7 million BTC under quantum threat

Bitcoin runs on elliptic curve cryptography (ECDSA), which quantum computers running Shor's algorithm could theoretically break. The most vulnerable are Pay-to-Public-Key (P2PK) transactions, where the public key is stored openly on the blockchain. This affects approximately 7 million BTC, including ~1 million coins attributed to Satoshi Nakamoto.

Modern Bitcoin addresses only reveal the public key when funds are spent, providing some protection. However, early addresses and reused keys remain permanently vulnerable. The Bitcoin community continues to debate whether these coins should be frozen to protect the network.

Bitcoin: BIP 360 - a start without a coordinated plan

Recently, BIP 360 - a proposal for a new quantum-resistant address format called Pay-to-Merkle-Root, was merged into Bitcoin's official improvement repository. However, this is merely a formal first step: the proposal doesn't activate anything and has no agreed-upon implementation timeline.

• Lack of coordination: unlike Ethereum, Bitcoin has no unified foundation, funding structure, or agreed-upon plan for transitioning to post-quantum cryptography
• Critics' view: Adam Back, co-founder of Blockstream, argues that the quantum threat won't materialize for another 20-40 years, and there's ample time for transition
• Alternative view: Galaxy Digital analysts warn the threat is real, though not an existential crisis, preparation should begin now

Ethereum and Solana a step ahead

Ethereum has been preparing for the quantum threat for eight years. On March 25, the Ethereum Foundation launched pq.ethereum.org - a dedicated hub consolidating a roadmap, repositories, specifications, and FAQ. Over 10 client teams are already building and testing devnets weekly through the PQ Interop program. Vitalik Buterin identified four vulnerability vectors: validator signatures, data availability mechanisms, user wallet signatures, and zero-knowledge proofs.

Solana took a different approach, optional tooling. In December 2025, developers introduced the Winternitz Vault - a smart contract-based storage that uses one-time signatures based on hash functions resistant to quantum attacks. The Solana Foundation confirmed the deployment of a quantum-resistant transaction prototype on a testnet.

Implications for the crypto market

Google's 2029 deadline is not a prediction of when quantum computers will arrive, but an estimate of the time needed for safe migration of large-scale infrastructure. For blockchains with decentralized governance, the process could take even longer due to the need for community consensus.

The difference in preparedness is already evident: Ethereum has a coordinated plan and is actively testing solutions, Solana is experimenting with new tools, while Bitcoin - the largest cryptocurrency by market cap, still has no agreed-upon timeline. The coming years will reveal whether Bitcoin's decentralized governance can move quickly enough to protect $440 billion in vulnerable coins.