MicroStrategy executive Michael Saylor warns that the greatest risk to Bitcoin is ambitious opportunists advocating protocol changes.
The remark comes just as Coinbase and the Ethereum network make moves to address one of Bitcoin’s most existential long-term threats: quantum computing.
The MicroStrategy co-founder framed protocol ossification as Bitcoin’s primary defense. According to Michael Saylor, internal attempts to “improve” the network pose a greater danger than external technological threats.
This remark highlights Bitcoin’s role as neutral digital money amid debates like the BIP-110 soft fork proposal.
BIP-110, gaining 2.38% node support as of January 25, 2026, aims to temporarily cap transaction data (for instance, OP_RETURN at 83 bytes) to combat "spam" from non-monetary uses.
The discussion sparks a community split between purists who favor Bitcoin Knots and those who use Bitcoin Core for broader applications.
Some developers cite concerns about rushed or politically motivated changes, while others highlight that ignoring emerging risks could itself become a liability.
That tension is now coming into sharper focus as Coinbase announces the formation of an independent advisory board dedicated to quantum computing and blockchain security.
The board will study how future advances in large-scale quantum machines could threaten Bitcoin’s cryptographic foundations. They will publish public research, risk assessments, and technical guidance for the broader ecosystem.