VanEck CEO declares: If Bitcoin cannot compete with quantum mechanics, “we will exit,” and old money in the market is shifting to ZCASH.

magnificentWall Street is adjusting its strategy in anticipation of the risks of next-generation technologies. In November 2025, VanEck CEO Jan van Eck made a rare statement in a CNBC interview , saying that if Bitcoin (BTC) cannot quickly adapt to the threat of quantum computing, “we will exit the market.” This single sentence ignited alarm bells for funds to reassess the security of crypto investments, and also explained why the privacy coin Zcash (ZEC), which had been dormant for many years, surged 1,300% in the past three months, reaching $560.

Quantum risk becomes a new consensus on Wall Street

Bitcoin relies on the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA). This mathematical maze is unbreakable for traditional computers; however, Shor’s algorithm, combined with quantum hardware, could potentially allow direct deduction of private keys from public keys, essentially unlocking a vault. VanEck points out that asset management institutions are unwilling to gamble decades of accumulated wealth on technological timelines, especially after the Trump administration’s regulatory-friendly signals, resulting in larger institutional positions and a higher “safety threshold.”

The countdown to “Collect now, decrypt later”

Before quantum computers are even widely commercialized, hackers have already adopted a “collect now, decrypt later” strategy: downloading publicly available on-chain data in batches, and then cracking the hardware all at once once it’s mature. According to Cryptoslate analysis , approximately 6.5 million Bitcoins use early P2PK type addresses, exposing their public keys, representing about one-third of the total supply. Converted to market value, hundreds of billions of dollars could be exposed at risk around 2030. For long-term holders who see Bitcoin as a family heirloom, this means the simple “buy and hold” strategy of the past needs to be re-examined.

Zcash becomes a safe haven for relocation

Fund flows reflect the level of anxiety. Zcash uses zk-SNARKs zero-knowledge proofs, which can selectively conceal transaction paths, public keys, and amounts, making it difficult for quantum computers to pinpoint the target. Citing Van Eck’s observation, many “Bitcoin OGs” have already transferred some of their positions into ZEC to hedge against quantum risks. A Wall Street quantitative trader privately admitted, “We’re not abandoning Bitcoin; we’re buying insurance.”

Upgrade challenges intersect with the 2026 cycle.

For Bitcoin to adopt quantum-resistant cryptography, it will inevitably require soft forks or even hard forks. The decentralized structure makes decision-making akin to “changing engines mid-flight,” meaning technological consensus and implementation will take at least several years. However, market cycles wait for no one. Van Eck points out that Bitcoin’s four-year cycle is still ongoing, and “2026 could be a year of negative returns.” Currently, $87,000 was once considered the upper limit of policy support; if upgrades are delayed, a bear market and the quantum threat could resonate together.

Cryptographer Adam Back believes the quantum crisis is still 20 to 40 years away, but Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin warned in a recent interview that substantial risks could be seen as early as 2030. While there’s no unified timeline, capital markets are choosing to prepare early.

In summary, while Bitcoin received policy support from Washington in 2025, it still faces new challenges from mathematics and physics. Investors do not need to panic sell, but they need to closely monitor whether developers can complete upgrades within the timeframe of technological development and market cycles. Otherwise, Bitcoin may repeat the fate of Netscape Navigator—creating an era, but not necessarily dominating the future.

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