Bitcoin and ether holders urged to enter ‘bunker mode’ against possible AI attacks
CoinDesk 2026-10-08 11:47:16
Context: Ethereum researcher Justin Drake has warned the crypto industry to prepare for "bunker mode" due to potential artificial intelligence (AI) attacks on Bitcoin and Ethereum wallets. Drake believes AI could break the mathematical protections of these wallets in a matter of months, and has recommended that large holders move their funds to new addresses whose public keys have never appeared onchain. This warning has sparked debate within the industry, with Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin agreeing that the risk is real, but cautioning against rushed wallet migrations.
Key Facts
- Ethereum researcher Justin Drake warned that AI could break the mathematics protecting Bitcoin and Ethereum wallets in "months, not years," and urged large holders to move funds to fresh addresses.
- Drake recommended that holders move funds to addresses whose public keys have never appeared onchain, which would make it harder for an attacker to recover the secret private key.
- AI-assisted attacks on crypto systems have already cost real money, including a July 30 attack that drained Coldcard hardware wallets, taking at least 1,367 BTC, and a hack that stole funds from merchants' Lightning nodes through a flaw first surfaced in an AI-assisted audit.
- Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin agreed that AI poses a risk to some quantum-resistant cryptography, including lattice-based cryptography, and warned that rushed wallet migrations can cause losses, having personally lost more money in botched migrations than in all hacks combined.