France to Phase Out Non-Quantum Encryption as Bitcoin Security Concerns Grow

TLDR

• France’s ANSSI will stop certifying non-quantum-safe security products from 2027.
• French firms are advised to buy only quantum-safe security products by 2030.
• ANSSI certification is required for French government and critical infrastructure use.
• Quantum risks include “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks on encrypted data.
• Bitcoin security concerns are rising as ECDSA may face future quantum threats.

France is preparing to phase out certified security products that do not use quantum-resistant encryption, adding new urgency to global discussions over the future of cryptography used in government systems, critical infrastructure, and blockchain networks such as Bitcoin.

France’s cybersecurity agency, ANSSI, said it will stop certifying security products that lack quantum-safe encryption beginning in 2027. The agency also advised businesses to buy only quantum-safe products by 2030, creating a clear transition timeline for companies that serve French public bodies and critical infrastructure operators.

ANSSI certification is required for security products used by French government agencies and critical infrastructure providers. As a result, the policy will effectively push older encryption systems out of sensitive public and industrial environments over the next several years.

France Sets 2027 Quantum-Safe Certification Deadline

Samih Souissi, ANSSI’s chief of staff, said at the France Quantum conference that the transition is not only a technical issue. He described it as a matter of governance, industrial planning, regulation, and sovereignty.

The French policy reflects growing concern over “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks. In that scenario, hostile actors collect encrypted data today and store it until future quantum computers become powerful enough to break current encryption systems.

Quantum computers capable of breaking widely used cryptography do not yet exist, but governments and technology firms are preparing for the possibility that such systems may arrive within the next decade. IBM executive Jerry Chow said at the event that the threat could emerge by the mid-2030s.

France is also backing quantum technology through a 3 billion euro, or about $3.5 billion, national plan. The policy places the country among governments moving to align cybersecurity requirements with post-quantum cryptography standards.

Bitcoin and Blockchain Face Quantum Debate

The French announcement comes as crypto developers and security researchers debate how blockchain systems should prepare for quantum computing risks. Bitcoin and many other networks rely on cryptographic systems that could require changes if quantum computers become capable of breaking existing signature schemes.

Project Eleven, a quantum security firm, estimated in May that a cryptographically relevant quantum computer could arrive as early as 2030. The firm said such a development could place roughly 7 million Bitcoin at risk, depending on wallet exposure and migration readiness.

Qperfect warned that the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm, known as ECDSA, could be among the first systems affected by advanced quantum computers. ECDSA is widely used in blockchain systems, including Bitcoin, to verify ownership and authorize transactions.

The crypto industry has already begun responding. The Ethereum Foundation formed a post-quantum security team earlier this year, making quantum resistance a higher priority for the network. Coinbase’s quantum advisory council also urged blockchain builders to plan migrations to quantum-safe cryptography and address the question of coins that never move to safer formats.

Stellar Development Foundation has outlined a three-stage roadmap for moving the XLM network toward quantum-safe cryptography. The plan includes a protocol upgrade that would allow users to add quantum-resistant signers without changing wallet addresses.

Companies Face Compliance and Security Costs

The shift toward quantum-safe standards is already creating pressure for companies that sell security products or manage sensitive data. Pascal Brier, chief innovation officer at Capgemini, said demand is increasing as banks and public services review what must be changed.

OVHcloud’s head of quantum, Fanny Bouton, said companies face the dual task of auditing existing products and securing stored data to meet ANSSI requirements. She said French and European firms must also align with standards from ANSSI, the European Commission, and the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology.

The transition may create a substantial market for post-quantum security products, especially as governments, banks, cloud providers, and critical infrastructure operators prepare for compliance. The process will require audits of legacy systems, upgrades to encryption products, and migration plans for long-lived data.

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