The threat posed by quantum computing is no longer a distant abstraction, and France has decided to get ahead of it. The country is preparing to gradually retire security products that do not carry quantum-resistant encryption. The move highlights a deepening worry about what lies ahead for the cryptography that currently protects everything from government networks to Bitcoin.
ANSSI's Decisive Step
According to a report by TrendKia, France's cybersecurity agency ANSSI announced this week that from 2027 it will stop certifying security products that do not use quantum-safe encryption. The agency has advised that companies should buy only quantum-safe products by 2030.
The weight of the decision comes from the fact that ANSSI certification is mandatory for French government agencies and operators of critical infrastructure. That requirement effectively turns the announcement into a phase-out of older cryptographic systems.
Speaking at the annual France Quantum conference, ANSSI Chief of Staff Samih Souissi insisted the shift goes well beyond engineering.
"It's not only a technical issue. It's a matter of governance, industrial planning, regulation, and sovereignty."
The Fear Called Q-Day
The policy change arrives amid mounting anxiety over Q-Day, the anticipated moment when quantum computers become powerful enough to break modern encryption. Security experts are also sounding the alarm about "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks. In such schemes, adversaries collect encrypted data today on the assumption that future quantum machines will eventually be able to unlock it.
Quantum computers capable of cracking today's encryption do not yet exist, but the estimates for their arrival keep getting shorter. In March, Google set a 2029 deadline to move its systems to post-quantum cryptography. In May, quantum security firm Project Eleven estimated that a cryptographically relevant quantum computer could arrive as early as 2030, putting roughly 7 million Bitcoin at risk.
How the Crypto Industry Is Responding
The announcement lands while different corners of the crypto industry argue over the best way to prepare for a post-quantum world. Earlier this year, the Ethereum Foundation set up a dedicated post-quantum security team, formally raising quantum resistance to a top priority for the network.
Coinbase Says Bitcoin Must Act Now
Last week, Coinbase's quantum advisory council urged blockchain builders to start planning migrations to quantum-safe cryptography and to decide the fate of coins that never make the move. Around the same time, the Stellar Development Foundation unveiled a three-stage roadmap to migrate the XLM network to quantum-safe cryptography. It includes a protocol upgrade that would let users add quantum-resistant signers without having to change their wallet addresses.
No Cause for Panic
Even so, some industry executives warned against reading the latest projections as proof that a quantum crisis is right around the corner. Boundless CEO Shiv Shankar previously told TrendKia that the situation calls for a measured view.
"The risk is going up, but this was expected. As we get closer and closer to a target date for full migration to [post-quantum cryptography], the confidence in that timeline generally goes up. There's no cause for panic. The smartest and most brilliant minds in the world are active on this problem."
