Macro investor Jordy Visser sees reused passwords as a more immediate security weakness in an era of AI agents, while saying Bitcoin (BTC) has time to address a future quantum threat.
Speaking with Anthony Pompliano on Oct. 24, Visser dismissed the prospect that quantum computing would erase Bitcoin’s value. He argued that physical limits on building quantum hardware could give the community time to coordinate a response. He likened those bottlenecks to constraints that also slow the development and use of AI. Visser called for a collective effort but named no engineering fix.
Visser said cryptographer Adam Back’s estimate places a serious quantum threat 20 to 40 years away. He also cited other forecasts of five to seven years, without identifying their authors. He said Back’s thinking had shaped his own assessment of the longer-term risk.
The nearer-term scenario Visser highlighted involves people reusing credentials across websites. He said large groups of AI agents could make that habit exploitable as their operations expand. Visser said he had assessed security risks and possible defenses before deciding in 2020 to place a significant share of his net worth in Bitcoin. He discussed password misuse separately from the quantum risk, which he said would require a cryptographic solution.
Visser connected the security issue with the incentives facing financial institutions. He said banks’ expanded role in crypto infrastructure could increase their interest in strengthening Bitcoin’s defenses. More broadly, he argued that security crises in finance could encourage institutions to adopt cryptographic systems and spend more on protections. He described cryptography as stronger than existing security approaches, but said a response to quantum risks still needs development within that framework.
Bitcoin’s quantum exposure also depends in part on whether public keys are visible on-chain, as EconoTimes’ earlier report on public-key visibility explains. A public key may be exposed while coins remain unspent, depending on transaction format and prior use.
