VanEck CEO Jan van Eck recently sparked a significant debate regarding Bitcoin’s long-term structure and its encryption and privacy capabilities during his appearance on CNBC’s Power Lunch. He explained that VanEck evaluates Bitcoin’s value through its technological foundations and would exit Bitcoin 
$89,100 if these fundamentals weaken, emphasizing that the company existed before Bitcoin.
Debating Bitcoin’s Encryption and Privacy Model
In his assessment of Bitcoin’s future, van Eck highlighted not just price movements but also infrastructure risks. He stressed the importance of technological robustness when categorizing assets, focusing on the potential risk to Bitcoin’s elliptic curve cryptography from advancing quantum computers. The CEO underlined that privacy is becoming increasingly crucial within the community.
Van Eck’s statement that “everyone can see the money movements within Bitcoin’s blockchain” reignited interest in alternatives like Zcash, which prioritizes privacy. He noted that some long-term Bitcoin investors are exploring Zcash’s similar but more private structure. On platform X, he correlated the current bearish trend with blockchain reward halving cycles, quantum-related security concerns, and Zcash’s rising privacy edge.
Quantum Computing: Threat or Exaggeration?
The CEO’s comments drew both support and criticism. Ethereum 
$2,953 co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently expressed concerns at the Devconnect conference in Argentina, asserting that “elliptic curves will die,” viewing quantum computers as a threat to cryptography. Similarly, quantum researcher Scott Aaronson from the University of Texas predicted a quantum computer capable of running Shor’s algorithm by the 2028 U.S. elections.
Conversely, JAN3 CEO Samson Mow criticized van Eck’s remarks as coming from a lack of understanding of Bitcoin culture. Mow advised him to “stay in your lane and continue promoting the latest altcoins.” Amid ongoing discussions, Zcash’s ZEC coin surged 17% in the past 24 hours, 121% in the last 30 days, and 930% since the start of the year, reaching $578.35.
