Buterin Opens Devcon 8 in a Mask and Warns That AI Could Break Cryptography

Vitalik Buterin opened Devcon 8 in Mumbai on November 3, wearing a costume with a smiling yellow mask and a cloak covered in eyes, expressing concern that artificial intelligence might accelerate the solving of mathematical problems that underpin the security of Ethereum and Bitcoin. According to him, AI is capable of "running through" over 50 years of mathematics in five years. The threat is not limited to quantum computers: Buterin included lattice-based methods, which are the foundation of several leading post-quantum standards, meaning that planned quantum measures may not fully mitigate the risk.

What exactly worries him

Responding to a user on X, Buterin pointed to algorithms that may exist but have not yet been discovered. The main example is the elliptic curve discrete logarithm problem (ECDLP), which protects private keys in both networks. He also mentioned pairings—a technique on which validator signatures in Ethereum are based when voting for blocks.

In the same post, he wrote: "I would describe my concern as: what if the equivalent of the quadratic sieve for ECDLP or pairings—and similarly more powerful lattice-breaking algorithms than we have today—exists, and we just haven't found it yet, but AI, running through 50+ years of mathematics in five years, will find it." The quadratic sieve is an algorithm from the early 1980s that accelerated the factorization of large numbers and weakened RSA encryption. For ECDLP, no such shortcuts are known today; Buterin fears that one exists and that AI will find it first.

The warning continues his recent interest in AI security. Last month, he introduced an AI paranoid mode for private chats and supported a model that intentionally reduces hacking skills.

Costume and six goals

On stage, Buterin combined a yellow mask with a cloak covered in eyes. One user on X compared the look to the Shoggoth meme—an image of a monster hiding behind a friendly mask: the monster symbolizes "raw" AI models, and the mask represents training that makes chatbots harmless. Buterin himself did not comment on the costume.

In his keynote speech at Devcon 8, he linked Ethereum's mission to six goals, according to the Ethereum Foundation: formally verified operating system, open silicon, self-governing health technologies, robust AI, free discourse, and private communication. "We must be able to trust our operating systems. We must be able to trust our hardware. We must be able to trust what is directly connected to our health," Buterin said.

Throughout Ethereum's history, over 1 million people have participated in its development. Devcon 8 runs until November 6, and Buterin's warning adds AI to the list of threats to the network's cryptography.