The 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS) has prioritized artificial intelligence and quantum computing while notably excluding Bitcoin and digital assets from its framework. This omission creates a significant policy gap with financial security implications. The strategy outlines an “America First” approach to technological leadership, while a separate executive order signed on January 23, 2025, advances U.S. digital asset policy, including establishing a strategic Bitcoin reserve—highlighting a disconnect between national security doctrine and specific financial directives.
Strategic Technology Priorities and Cryptographic Vulnerabilities
The NSS positions AI and quantum computing at the forefront of U.S. technological and defense policy through initiatives like the “Genesis Mission” for AI and renaming the AI Safety Institute to the Center for AI Standards and Innovation. The strategy emphasizes setting global standards and accelerating capabilities tied to defense and intelligence, stating: “We want to ensure that U.S. technology and U.S. standards, particularly in AI, biotech and quantum computing, drive the world forward”. However, this approach leaves digital finance entirely unaddressed.
This focus on quantum computing raises a significant vulnerability for Bitcoin, as quantum technology threatens current elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) that secures Bitcoin transactions and key ownership. Analysts estimate “QDay”—when quantum computers could break current cryptographic standards—might arrive as early as 2026-2028, with 20-30% of circulating Bitcoin potentially exposed if ECC is broken before migration to quantum-resistant signatures occurs.
The industry has begun responding to these threats. Companies like BTQ Technologies are deploying NIST-standard post-quantum cryptography and replacing ECDSA signatures with ML-DSA, with the goal of achieving full market protection by 2026. This technical transition involves migrating wallets, custodians, and on-chain tooling to quantum-safe schemes—with direct implications for custody costs, upgrade coordination, and liquidity during any coordinated migration.
Policy Inconsistencies and Market Implications
The administration’s January 23, 2025 Executive Order “Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology” sought to promote U.S. leadership in blockchain and digital assets and established a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve funded by seized assets. The existence of this order alongside the NSS omission suggests compartmentalized policy approaches rather than an integrated national security strategy linking cryptographic resilience to broader technological initiatives.
For product teams, compliance units, and institutional investors, this gap raises practical questions about:
- Regulatory clarity and expectations
- Licensing requirements for custody and tokenization
- Timelines for mandated cryptographic upgrades
For markets, this policy mismatch could increase volatility if actors perceive uncoordinated policy or delayed guidance on quantum mitigation and reserve management.
The NSS’s silence on digital assets, coupled with executive action on a strategic Bitcoin reserve, exposes a strategic blind spot where technological advances in quantum computing may outpace defensive measures for a multi-trillion-dollar digital asset class. Key milestones to monitor include quantum-migration roadmaps targeting 2026 and the projected QDay window of 2026-2028, which will determine the urgency for coordinated regulatory guidance, custody upgrades, and industry-wide migration timelines.
