Solana Co-Founder Warns AI Threatens Post-Quantum Cryptography

Solana's Anatoly Warns AI Could Break Post-Quantum Security

Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder of Solana, has raised concerns about the potential risks of artificial intelligence (AI) to post-quantum cryptography. He noted that the biggest risk facing post-quantum cryptographic systems today is the possibility that AI could eventually break their signature schemes.

According to Yakovenko, the crypto industry still lacks a clear understanding of the potential weaknesses in these systems. The industry faces challenges not only in complex mathematics but also in implementing these systems in real-world applications. Hidden risks or 'footguns' could emerge during deployment, making solutions less secure than expected.

Yakovenko suggested adding extra safeguards to address this issue, such as 2/3 multi-signature wallet support or native protection through Program Derived Addresses (PDAs) at the transaction processing level. He emphasized that next-generation cryptographic solutions are not foolproof and that the industry needs to prepare for unexpected risks as AI continues to evolve.

In a separate statement, Yakovenko criticized Ethereum Layer 2 networks, saying they still rely heavily on traditional cryptographic systems vulnerable to quantum computing threats. He pointed out that transactions posted to these networks can be exposed to 'harvest now, decrypt later' attacks using algorithms like Shor's algorithm for decryption.