The emergence of quantum computing has sparked concerns about the potential risks to blockchain technology. Experts suggest that XRP's architecture may be better equipped to handle these threats than Bitcoin's. XRP operates on the XRP Ledger, a decentralized, open-source blockchain.
A recent audit found that approximately 300,000 XRP accounts, holding around 2.4 billion XRP, have never sent funds and thus have not exposed their public keys to the network. These accounts are considered quantum-safe by default.
However, dormant whale accounts that have transacted in the past and exposed their public keys are at risk. The XRP Ledger's key rotation feature allows users to change their signing key without moving funds, reducing the risk of quantum attacks. Additionally, the escrow feature with a time lock provides an extra layer of protection. In comparison, Bitcoin's exposure to quantum threats appears more significant, with around 6.9 million BTC vulnerable, equivalent to nearly 35% of its circulating supply.
Bitcoin's lack of a key rotation feature leaves holders with limited options to protect their funds, making XRP a potentially more secure choice in the face of quantum computing threats.