Coinbase has taken a forward-looking step to protect the future of blockchain technology by launching an independent Quantum Risk Advisory Board, aimed at assessing how advances in quantum computing could impact Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other major blockchain networks.
The new board will focus on identifying long-term cryptographic risks and helping the crypto industry prepare well before quantum technology becomes powerful enough to threaten existing security systems. According to Coinbase, early preparation is critical because changes to cryptographic standards take years to research, test, and implement across decentralized networks.
Most blockchains today, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, rely on elliptic-curve cryptography. While this system remains secure under current computing capabilities, experts believe sufficiently advanced quantum machines could eventually weaken or break these protections.
To address this challenge, Coinbase’s advisory board brings together some of the world’s most respected minds in cryptography, quantum computing, and blockchain research. The group includes Scott Aaronson, Dan Boneh, Justin Drake, Sreeram Kannan, Yehuda Lindell, and Dahlia Malkhi. Operating independently, the board will publish research papers and practical guidance for developers, institutions, and blockchain users.
Coinbase stated that the board’s first public risk assessment and position paper is expected early next year. This document will outline the current state of quantum computing, potential timelines for risk, and possible strategies to improve blockchain resilience against future threats.
Alongside its quantum security initiative, Coinbase also released a separate policy paper focused on tokenization as a way to expand access to global capital markets. The company argues that blockchain technology can help remove structural barriers that prevent billions of people from investing in equities and bonds.
The paper highlights stark global disparities in market participation. While more than half of adults in the United States invest in traditional financial markets, participation drops below 10% in countries such as China and India. Coinbase believes tokenized assets could open these markets to a much wider audience.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong emphasized that access to capital markets is still largely determined by where someone is born, not by their talent or ambition. By enabling tokenized ownership of stocks and bonds, blockchain technology could help level the playing field for global investors.
With its quantum risk board and tokenization push, Coinbase is positioning itself at the intersection of long-term blockchain security and the future of global finance.
