Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao said on Friday, October 23, that fears of AI hacking crypto are misplaced. Both the internet and banking systems run on weaker encryption, but he warned that AI is already making phishing and social engineering more dangerous for ordinary users. CZ’s post led Friday’s Bitcoin news as the price sat at $81,817, down 0.8% in 24 hours.
Bitcoin held $81,000 overnight. Whale wallets kept buying. So, are the AI and quantum threats real, and what does BTC need to bounce from here?
Everyone worried about AI hacking crypto, but the internet and banking systems rely on weaker encryption.
That said, AI doesn’t need to break Bitcoin’s cryptography to cause damage, leaked data already enables more phishing, social engineering, etc,
Stay SAFU!
— CZ 🔶 BNB (@cz_binance) October 23, 2026
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Bitcoin News: Are AI and Quantum Computing a Real Threat?
Not to the code, at least for now. AI models can find software bugs and write convincing scams, but they cannot solve the math that protects a Bitcoin private key. CZ’s point is that the same family of public-key cryptography also secures web traffic and online banking. Any machine able to crack Bitcoin keys would put those systems at risk too.
Quantum computers are the longer-term worry. No existing machine can break Bitcoin’s signatures. Still, the Quantum Alliance, a group of nine crypto companies, estimates that 6.4 million BTC, 30% of supply, sit in addresses whose public keys are already visible on-chain. That includes coins attributed to Satoshi Nakamoto.
Experts disagree on timing. Postquant Labs CTO Richard Carback sees 2028 as a realistic timeframe for a machine capable of breaking today’s cryptography. Others won’t name a date.
Bitcoin developers are discussing BIP-360, a proposal for quantum-resistant addresses, but it remains a draft.
So why are the users the weak point? Because attackers don’t need to break anything. Stolen emails, phone numbers, and purchase histories let scammers write messages that look like they came from an exchange or a wallet provider. AI makes those messages cheaper to produce and harder to spot.
The numbers back CZ up. AI-enabled scams were 4.5 times more profitable than traditional ones in 2025, and impersonation scams grew more than 1,400%, Chainalysis found. Total crypto scam revenue reached an estimated $17 billion.
Scam losses 2025
This was CZ’s second security warning in three days. On Wednesday, he told users to be careful on any website after two critical PHP flaws left millions of servers exposed.
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Bitcoin Price Analysis: Can the Bounce Start From $81,000?
Buyers have defended the level twice in two days. BTC dipped to $80,940 on Thursday and $81,118 on Friday, both times just above its 50-day EMA at $80,880.
BTCUSDT Chart 1H
Large wallets are adding. Since October 1, 40 newly created wallets have withdrawn 9,458 BTC, worth about $771.5 million, from market maker Wintermute. New wallets don’t always mean new buyers, but the pattern fits steady accumulation.
The first resistance is $82,100 to $82,850, where the 4-hour moving averages meet the last swing high. Above that, $84,900, Wednesday’s high, is the level that would turn this into a real bounce. Below, a daily close under $80,394 would open the way to the 200-day EMA near $76,200.
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What Are the Major Factors for Bitcoin From Here?
Oil comes first. Brent crude trades at $114 a barrel with the Strait of Hormuz still largely shut and the U.S. blockade of Iranian oil in place. The New York Times reported this week that U.S. and Israeli forces have plans to resume strikes on Iran after the midterms, though nothing has been approved.
The Fed is the second factor, and rate cuts are off the table. The Fed raised rates in September to a range of 3.75% to 4.00%. Traders put about 94% odds on a hold at the October 28 decision and more than 70% on another hike in December, prediction market data compiled by DeFi Rate shows. That is the main headwind for BTC.
Fed Rate Odds Defirate
Then come the November 3 midterms. Polymarket gives Democrats a 92.5% chance of winning the House and 68.5% for the Senate. A Democratic Congress facing a Republican White House would make new crypto legislation harder to pass next year.
AI won’t break Bitcoin’s cryptography anytime soon. For now, the Bitcoin news that moves the price is oil, the Fed and an election 11 days away.
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Daniel Frances is a technical writer and Web3 educator specializing in macroeconomics and DeFi mechanics. A crypto native since 2017, Daniel leverages his background in on-chain analytics to author evidence-based reports and deep-dive guides. He holds certifications from The Blockchain Council, and is dedicated to providing “information gain” that cuts through market hype to find real-world blockchain utility.