The signal has a quantum problem Bitcoin can avoid

Long limited to Bitcoin speculation, quantum computing is now entering a much more sensitive area: that of encrypted messaging. Behind the blockchain security debate is another, more immediate threat: private data captured today and decrypted tomorrow. Researchers and industry are warning against this shift, which is pushing the front line towards tools like Signal or Threema.

A more immediate threat to Signal than Bitcoin

Quantum computing is often presented as a threat to Bitcoin. Cryptographer Ethan Heilman explains that the short-term risk would be greater for apps like Signal than for Bitcoin, not because a quantum attack is already possible, but because some communications can be intercepted today, stored and attacked later.

The problem is no longer just the future solidity of the decentralized currency network, but the potential vulnerability of already exchanged private conversations. In this context, it should be recalled that Signal and Threema, launched in 2014 and 2012, respectively, rely on end-to-end encryption and store keys on users’ devices. The stakes are therefore for sensitive data that can be collected today and await more advanced computing capabilities.

Ethan Heilman issues the warning directly. It states : “The short-term threat is much greater for an app like Signal than for Bitcoin, due to attacks involving storing encrypted messages to try to exploit them later”.

adds: “Theoretically, today someone could record a communication and later attack it once they have a quantum computer”.

• Reasoning comes from logic “Collect Today, Decrypt Later”. Even without a functioning quantum computer capable of breaking these systems today, there may already be value in eavesdropping. Malicious actors could collect data betting on future decryption capabilities. This is what makes messengers more exposed in the short term;

• Encrypted messengers are used by individuals, journalists, governments and political leaders. This gives this warning a wider scope than a simple technical debate about bitcoin and blockchains.

IBM, Signal and Threema are moving into the adaptation phase

The second dimension does not concern the warning itself, but the already ongoing reactions. In a paper published on March 9, 2026, IBM Research says that its researchers are working with Signal and Threema to prepare communication systems that are resistant to future quantum machines.

IBM notes that in 2024, NIST published the first set of three post-quantum cryptographic standards. The group also explains that the problem is not limited to message encryption, but also affects more subtle parts of the protocol, such as some metadata associated with newsgroups.

The signal has already started this transition. In a post dedicated to PQXDH, the company explains that it has added a post-quantum mechanism to protect new chat sessions against the risk of future decryption. October 2025 Signal announced SPQR, which is described as a new step designed to strengthen the protocol’s resilience against quantum threats while maintaining guarantees of permanent confidentiality and post-compromise security.

IBM adds that scaling these protections presents a very specific efficiency issue. A simple transposition of the present components to post-quantum equivalents could cause “up to a hundredfold increase in signal bandwidth”. This finding leads the teams to thoroughly review the protocols.

As Signal, Threema and IBM accelerate post-quantum, one question arises: what if the quantum scare is just a pretext for a broader rethinking of communications security? Behind the technological caveat, perhaps the entire architecture of digital privacy is entering a new phase.

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The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and should not be taken as investment advice. Before making any investment decision, do your own research.