As the era of quantum computing draws closer, how quickly blockchain networks can adapt is emerging as a key task. On March 26, blockchain outlet Cointelegraph reported that, as the need grows for system-wide upgrades, attention is on how efficiently decentralised networks can carry them out.

Quantum computers could theoretically break digital signatures and encrypted communications, making them a potentially fatal threat to blockchain security. Post-quantum cryptography, or PQC, proposed as a countermeasure, is already being adopted. The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology has issued guidance to complete the transition of federal systems to quantum security by 2035.

By contrast, there is an observation that institutional blockchains may be able to respond more quickly. BOLT Technologies is testing a system that can switch among various cryptographic signature schemes in cooperation with the Canton Network. The Canton Network is a blockchain for regulated financial institutions and was designed with internal controls, risk management and privacy requirements in mind. With NIST guidelines in place, regulated institutions are more likely to respond faster due to the burden of security and compliance.

Public blockchains, including bitcoin, face a different situation. Changes to the bitcoin protocol must go through the Bitcoin Improvement Proposal, or BIP, process, and whether they are accepted and adopted ultimately depends on users. That suggests the transition could be far slower than in permissioned networks. Ethereum also requires consensus through the EIP process, and a core developer group is coordinating technical work related to it.

Ultimately, the quantum transition is not only a technical issue. A bigger task is how smoothly networks can execute it. Awoo Yoon (윤 아우), CEO of BOLT Technologies, said, "You need to start responding from the moment you recognise the quantum computing threat." Permissioned blockchains can respond relatively quickly on the back of rapid decision-making and strong governance, but public chains are expected to require more time and a longer consensus process.

Investors are watching the quantum-readiness of networks such as bitcoin and ethereum. Jefferies strategist Christopher Wood excluded bitcoin from a model portfolio due to quantum risk, but Blockstream CEO Adam Back argued that "the quantum computing threat will only become a reality decades from now."

Competition in the quantum computing era may no longer be only about performance, but about the speed of survival. Even if technical countermeasures are ready, a security edge loses meaning if they cannot be reflected in the network. Ultimately, the point investors should watch is not when the quantum threat arrives, but how quickly each blockchain can reach agreement and move before then.