[DigitalToday reporter Yoonseo Lee] Global credit rating agency Moody's warned the bitcoin and digital asset industry that responding to quantum computers is no longer a long-term task.

On July 1 (local time), Bitcoin Magazine reported that Moody's assessed that the crypto industry is under pressure to prove it can defend basic cryptographic systems after two executive orders signed by U.S. President Donald Trump on June 22.

The issue is when to be ready. One of the executive orders directed development of quantum computers powerful enough to usher in an era of quantum-based scientific discovery, and required system specifications to be prepared within 90 days. The other executive order moved up the timeline for federal agencies to transition to post-quantum cryptography. The preparedness deadline shifted from the existing 2035 target to 2030 to 2031.

Moody's said this schedule change has direct implications for the crypto industry. Bitcoin relies on public-key cryptography to protect ownership, approve transactions and operate core infrastructure, and sufficiently capable quantum computers could break elliptic curve signatures that protect private keys.

The problem is that the structure of blockchain transactions makes it difficult to recover from damage. Moody's pointed out that "if keys are compromised, it can lead to irreversible outcomes." Unlike bank transfers, on-chain transactions offer limited scope to reverse transactions or recover funds after theft.

Moody's said what market participants should worry about now is not whether quantum computers will be completed, but a "harvest now, decrypt later" approach. In this scenario, an attacker obtains and stores encrypted data now and decrypts it when a so-called "Q-day" arrives. In the bitcoin network, long-dormant wallets and reused addresses with exposed public keys could be persistent targets. Coins from the Satoshi era held in early bitcoin structures known as pay-to-public-key outputs were also cited as assets with high exposure.

The burden on exchanges, custodians and tokenisation platforms is expected to grow. Moody's presented "crypto agility" as a needed capability for market participants. It is the ability to identify, update and replace vulnerable algorithms without major disruption. Moody's also said work is required to accurately assess remaining exposure in wallets, custody structures and smart contracts.

The warning goes beyond a simple technical issue. Moody's judged that institutions that present credible quantum transition plans can win adoption by regulated financial institutions and better respond to rising supervisory demands for cyber resilience. For an industry seeking to attract Wall Street and pension fund money, it means quantum preparedness is becoming less a distant research task and more like a condition for market entry.

Technical alternatives, such as quantum-resistant signature schemes, have already been proposed within the bitcoin camp. But actual implementation is a separate issue. Moody's said building consensus in a decentralised network, carrying out a soft fork and migrating wallets at the same time are a more difficult task. It said that because the bitcoin network has no central controlling entity, it is not easy to speed up a transition even if a technical solution exists.

Ultimately, the key question for the industry is how concretely it can map out a transition path by around 2030. Moody's said a de facto 2030 deadline has been presented even for decentralised networks. Future credibility and conditions for capital inflows could also change depending on how quickly exchanges, custodians and stablecoin issuers put quantum response plans in place.