Crypto ‘Bunker Mode’ Plan Criticized as Impractical by Industry Experts

Ethereum researcher Justin Drake’s call for ‘bunker mode’ planning to protect crypto assets from a potential AI-driven break in cryptography is facing criticism from industry experts who label the strategy impractical and alarmist.

Drake warned last week that advances in artificial intelligence could accelerate the discovery of mathematical attacks, potentially breaking the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) that secures most blockchains within months. He suggested a controlled migration of assets to fresh, unexposed addresses as a defensive measure.

However, several prominent figures have pushed back. Coinbase’s head of cryptography, Yehuda Lindell, stated there is “no evidence whatsoever” that the mathematical assumptions behind ECDSA have been weakened. Trezor analyst Lucien Bourdon echoed this, noting a lack of credible published advances against the math, with or without AI.

Technical critiques also emerged, with FoundationHQ’s Zach Herbert pointing out that if an extended public key has been shared, moving funds may not hide the new public key. MetaMask founder Taylor Monahan added that a break in foundational cryptography would have catastrophic implications far beyond crypto asset prices, rendering ‘bunker mode’ preparations moot.