The crypto industry gathered in Hong Kong for Cointelegraph’s LONGITUDE conference, where executives and thought leaders discussed the pressing issues facing Bitcoin, including the looming threat of quantum computing and the urgent need for clear US regulatory frameworks.
Co-hosted by crypto exchange OneBullEx, the event on February 12 opened with a fireside chat featuring Tron founder Justin Sun. Sun emphasized the industry’s need to prepare for artificial general intelligence (AGI), which many experts believe could emerge within the next few years. “We need to create a very easy standard for AGI to use blockchain,” Sun said, highlighting the importance of future-proofing the technology.
Quantum Computing: A Looming Threat
The conference delved into the significant threat that quantum computing poses to Bitcoin. Capriole Investments founder Charles Edwards argued that the risk of quantum attacks should be factored into Bitcoin’s current value. “Today, you kind of have to start to discount the value of Bitcoin based on that risk until it’s solved,” Edwards stated. He pointed to the growing concerns about quantum computing as a primary reason for Bitcoin’s price drop at the end of 2025, despite a generally positive market outlook.
“If you just look at the data, 2025 should have been a great year for Bitcoin,” Edwards said, explaining that quantum became a ‘non-zero threat’ and US-based Bitcoin ETF issuers began adding risk disclaimers for quantum.
However, Matthew Roszak, Bloq chairman and Hemi co-founder, remained optimistic. “It’s a two-step process. We’re going to upgrade and chill. That’s it. That’s the process,” Roszak said, downplaying the immediate threat and emphasizing the industry’s ability to adapt.
US Regulatory Landscape: A Turning Point
The US CLARITY Act, which aims to provide clearer regulations for the crypto industry, was another key topic. White House crypto and AI czar David Sacks indicated in December that the US is “closer than ever” to passing the act. Although the bill has not yet been enacted, industry panelists agreed that the US has become more crypto-friendly since President Donald Trump took office.
Sean McHugh, senior director at Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, highlighted the regulatory clarity in Dubai as a significant draw for crypto professionals. “I think one of the reasons why I moved to Dubai is because they were committed to clarity when I left a year and a half ago,” McHugh said, noting the stark contrast with the US regulatory environment at the time.
Grayscale Investments’ chief legal officer, Craig Salm, discussed past conflicts between US financial regulators over crypto jurisdiction. “There used to be this whole turf war between the SEC and the CFTC,” Salm said. However, he noted a positive shift, with both regulators now coordinating to bring much-needed clarity to the asset class. “Which is exactly what I think we all need,” Salm added.
Infrastructure Readiness: A Work in Progress
When asked about the readiness of crypto infrastructure to handle trillion-dollar institutional flows, the panelists were cautious. Offchain Labs chief strategy officer A.J. Warner expressed doubts. “I would say probably not yet,” Warner said, citing ongoing challenges in scaling, network resiliency, and user experience.
Joanita Titan, head of institutional growth at the Monad Foundation, echoed this sentiment. “Billion-dollar payments or billion-dollar processing is not a problem, but trillion dollars, I don’t think we’re there yet,” she said. Warner identified the largest bottlenecks as “continuing to scale, resiliency of networks, and user experiences.”
Despite these challenges, the industry remains optimistic about its future. The LONGITUDE conference underscored the need for proactive measures to address technological risks and regulatory uncertainties, paving the way for a more robust and resilient crypto ecosystem.
Cointelegraph’s exclusive LONGITUDE events will continue in 2026, with editions planned for New York, Paris, Dubai, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi, further solidifying the platform’s commitment to fostering global crypto dialogue and innovation.
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