Ethereum researcher warns of AI threat to crypto security

6.6 Security

Oct 7, 2026

Justin Drake urges crypto holders to prepare for AI threats by moving assets to new addresses, warning that ECDSA cryptography could be broken soon. He advises calm, proactive planning, not panic.

Ethereum researcher Justin Drake has issued a warning to the crypto industry, urging preparation for potential threats posed by advances in artificial intelligence. Drake recommends a "bunker mode" approach, advising holders—especially large and institutional investors—to move assets to new addresses with unrevealed public keys as a precaution. He warns that AI-driven mathematical breakthroughs could soon compromise the security of ECDSA signatures, which are widely used to secure assets on blockchains like Bitcoin and Ethereum. While there is currently no known attack that breaks these cryptographic protections, Drake suggests that AI could achieve this within months, potentially allowing private keys to be extracted from public keys in about a week using current hardware. Drake emphasizes that this is a precautionary step and urges the community not to panic or rush. Instead, he encourages proactive planning and consideration of this potential vulnerability using existing wallet infrastructure.