Key Takeaways
- • Quantus and NEAR Foundation are hosting Quantum + Privacy Day on October 8, 2026, at TOKEN2049 Singapore, convening major crypto investors (Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley, Grayscale's Krista Lynch, Dragonfly's Haseeb Qureshi) and protocol leaders (NEAR co-founder Illia Polosukhin, Zcash's Zooko Wilcox) to address the quantum computing threat to blockchain security.
- • Quantum computers capable of forging cryptographic signatures pose an existential risk to blockchain networks, potentially corrupting ledgers and stripping privacy from transaction records; the event will examine both quantum-safe cryptographic schemes and privacy infrastructure solutions.
- • Industry luminaries including angel investor Balaji Srinivasan and Quantus CEO Chris Smith will debate Bitcoin's privacy model, the viability of pre-quantum chains, and quantum risk implications for digital asset storage in keynotes and panel discussions.
- • The event targets security researchers, application builders, and capital allocators, positioning quantum-safe infrastructure and privacy-preserving systems as strategic priorities for crypto's next phase of development.
Summary
Quantus and NEAR Foundation are organizing Quantum + Privacy Day as a dedicated side event during TOKEN2049 Singapore on October 8, 2026, bringing together cryptographers, protocol builders, investors, and security researchers to address the industry's quantum computing vulnerability. The event will feature keynote presentations and panel discussions from major institutional players including Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley, Grayscale's Krista Lynch, and venture capital firm Dragonfly's Haseeb Qureshi, alongside blockchain protocol leaders Illia Polosukhin (NEAR co-founder) and Zcash founder Zooko Wilcox.
The core agenda centers on two interconnected threats posed by increasingly powerful quantum computers. First, quantum systems capable of forging digital signatures can compromise blockchain ledger integrity and corrupt transaction records across networks. Second, quantum capabilities could expose the privacy of every historical transaction by breaking the cryptographic schemes currently securing them. Quantus CEO Chris Smith will open the program with a keynote on the quantum threat and industry mitigation strategies, setting the foundation for subsequent discussions.
Programming will debate critical strategic questions including Bitcoin's privacy model sustainability, whether chains without post-quantum defenses remain economically viable, and how quantum risk should inform digital asset storage strategies. The event aims to move the industry beyond awareness toward concrete technical and policy solutions, positioning quantum-safe cryptographic schemes and privacy-preserving infrastructure as essential components of blockchain's long-term security architecture. The half-day session, running from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Singapore Time at Tower Club in Republic Plaza, will conclude with networking opportunities among attendees.
The core agenda centers on two interconnected threats posed by increasingly powerful quantum computers. First, quantum systems capable of forging digital signatures can compromise blockchain ledger integrity and corrupt transaction records across networks. Second, quantum capabilities could expose the privacy of every historical transaction by breaking the cryptographic schemes currently securing them. Quantus CEO Chris Smith will open the program with a keynote on the quantum threat and industry mitigation strategies, setting the foundation for subsequent discussions.
Programming will debate critical strategic questions including Bitcoin's privacy model sustainability, whether chains without post-quantum defenses remain economically viable, and how quantum risk should inform digital asset storage strategies. The event aims to move the industry beyond awareness toward concrete technical and policy solutions, positioning quantum-safe cryptographic schemes and privacy-preserving infrastructure as essential components of blockchain's long-term security architecture. The half-day session, running from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Singapore Time at Tower Club in Republic Plaza, will conclude with networking opportunities among attendees.
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