Has Bitcoin’s Q-day Countdown Begun? How Google’s New Quantum Chip Could Break The Chain
Snapshot:
- Google’s new Willow quantum processor brings real-world quantum computing closer, reviving fears that Bitcoin’s (CRYPTO: BTC) core cryptography could be cracked within a decade.
- While “Q-Day” isn’t here yet, the countdown has started and Bitcoin’s famed immutability might soon become its biggest vulnerability.
Quantum Gets Practical
Despite the excitement it generates, quantum computing has largely remained in the lab – impressive in chess competitions but less so in practical, real-world business applications. Google’s new Willow processor could change all that. It reportedly slashes qubit error rates and extends coherence times, the micro-moments when quantum states can hold still and make useful calculations.
For the first time, Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) says its system can run hundreds of logical qubits with enough error correction to execute a small-scale version of Shor’s algorithm, the code capable of cracking RSA encryption. That’s the nightmare scenario cybersecurity experts have warned about for decades.
If Shor’s algorithm ever scales fully, it won’t just break passwords. It will break the Internet’s cybersecurity model – and Bitcoin holders could be among the first victims.
The “Q-Day” Clock Starts Ticking
Bitcoin’s core defenses use classical standards: SHA-256 for mining and ECDSA for wallets. Both rely …
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