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'Bitcoin Cracked in 9 Minutes': BTC Bulls Scramble for Post-Quantum Protection as Google Drops Bombshell Paper
Google's research shows quantum computers could crack Bitcoin keys in minutes, urging a shift to quantum-resistant cryptography by 2029 to protect one-third of exposed Bitcoin wallets.
- On Monday, Google's Quantum AI team published research indicating that quantum computers could break the 256-bit encryption protecting Bitcoin and Ethereum wallets using fewer than 500,000 physical qubits, roughly a 20-fold reduction from previous estimates.
- The research references Shor's algorithm, which could derive private keys from exposed public keys; roughly 6.9 million Bitcoin—about one-third of total supply—currently sit in vulnerable wallet addresses.
- Google has set a 2029 target to transition its own systems to post-quantum cryptography. Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake noted the optimized quantum circuit is "just 100 million Toffoli gates," creating a "surprisingly shallow" challenge.
- Bitcoin's decentralized nature makes upgrading difficult, requiring broad consensus. Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao urged calm, noting crypto can upgrade to quantum-resistant algorithms, while developers test BIP 360 to introduce quantum-resistant wallet formats.
- Experts warn Bitcoin needs to address these vulnerabilities in the next three years. Although full migration could take up to 10 years, the research suggests the quantum threat is closer than previously modeled.
14 Articles
14 Articles
'Bitcoin cracked in 9 minutes': BTC bulls scramble for post-quantum protection as Google drops bombshell paper
Google's finding that breaking bitcoin's cryptography requires 20x fewer qubits than previously estimated has triggered the strongest industry response to quantum threats since the Willow chip in 2024. Here's how builders, investors, and researchers are reacting.
Google accelerates its post-quantum cryptography timeline to 2029 in its latest research
Google Quantum AI has released research showing that breaking Bitcoin’s encryption may require significantly fewer quantum resources than previously estimated. This discovery could potentially unlock billions of dollars in funds dormant due to private key losses. While Google’s discovery benefits individuals with no access to their fortunes, as Elon Musk promptly pointed out, it also poses a significant risk to the safety of other active wallets…
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