Europol Warns Crypto Wallets Face ‘Primary Risk’ from Quantum Attacks

quantum attacks — The European Union’s law enforcement agency, Europol, has identified cryptocurrency wallets as the “primary risk” for attacks by future quantum computers, according to a new report published on October 7, 2026.

In its “Quantum Computing and Law Enforcement” document, Europol states that the cryptographic algorithms securing digital wallets are particularly vulnerable to being broken by quantum machines. The agency expects blockchain networks to eventually adapt their protocols to be quantum-resistant, but warns of a significant interim threat period.

Quantum Threats to Crypto Security

A second report from the EU Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) highlights the risk of “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks, where encrypted data—including private keys—is stolen today and stored for decryption once sufficiently powerful quantum computers exist. This poses a long-term danger to assets held in non-quantum-resistant wallets.

While the full operationalization of quantum computers capable of breaking current encryption is not considered imminent, Europol’s assessment underscores a growing institutional focus on the future cryptographic vulnerabilities within the digital asset ecosystem. The reports signal that law enforcement and security bodies are actively preparing for this technological shift.