Vitalik Buterin calls for raising cryptographic security standards to 128-bit

Vitalik Buterin recently posted a lengthy analysis on X urging the blockchain and cryptography communities to transition to stronger security standards—specifically, 128-bit security. According to him, the current security level of many systems is gradually becoming outdated as global computational power increases faster than ever before.

Bitcoin Reaches 2^96 Hashes: What Does That Mean?

Buterin calculated that Bitcoin’s total accumulated proof-of-work (PoW)—that is, the total computational power expended to mine the current blockchain—has reached approximately 2^96 hashes.

🔍 What is accumulated proof-of-work?

• It is a measure of the total work all miners have done since the first block.
• It represents the “thickness” of the Bitcoin chain.
• To launch a 51% attack, an attacker would need to redo all this work (or more), which is virtually impossible.

When total PoW reaches the 96-bit mark, it means that to brute-force or overwrite the entire history of Bitcoin, an attacker would need to perform computations equivalent to 2^96 SHA-256 hashes—a number so massive it is far beyond the capability of any real-world computer system.

Why Does Buterin Want to Raise the Standard to 128-bit?

Vitalik referenced the argument of Ethereum researcher Justin Drake, who for years has advocated for the industry to use cryptographic systems with at least 128-bit security (requiring hackers to perform 2^128 operations to break the system). For example:

• BLS12-381 cryptographic curves
• The Lean Ethereum roadmap
• Modern signature schemes resistant to quantum attacks

Reasons the 128-bit Milestone is Important:

1. 96-bit is not that far out of reach in the future

Global computational power is continuously increasing, especially as AI, GPU, ASIC, and quantum computing develop further. 2. 128-bit is considered secure for decades

128-bit equals 3.4 × 10^38 possibilities—so large that no foreseeable computational platform can brute-force it. 3. Many legacy crypto systems only reach close to 128-bit

Some old signature algorithms and hash functions may become weak in the face of new technologies. 4. Security standardization helps the entire industry synchronize

Any blockchain could become a weak point if using outdated cryptographic standards, putting the whole ecosystem at risk.

Bitcoin Is Still Safe—But This Is a Warning Signal

Bitcoin uses SHA-256 and PoW, which are extremely strong. However, the network reaching a security level equivalent to 96 bits makes Buterin concerned that we are approaching the threshold that cryptographic systems need to surpass.

Given that:

• Hash rate is continually increasing
• ASIC hardware is becoming more powerful
• Quantum computing is advancing rapidly
• New-generation blockchains are using more complex mechanisms

→ If the industry doesn’t transition in time, old cryptographic systems could become significant risk points.

Conclusion: 128-bit Is a Necessary Step to Future-Proof Blockchain

Buterin’s message is very clear:

• Bitcoin reaching 2^96 hashes is an important milestone
• But it is also a reminder that global computational power is constantly rising
• The crypto industry needs to raise security standards to at least 128-bit to ensure long-term safety

Vitalik warns that if the ecosystem doesn’t upgrade, future risks will be much greater than they are now.

Thach Sanh