{"id":7999,"date":"2026-04-01T05:14:47","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T05:14:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7999"},"modified":"2026-04-01T05:14:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T05:14:47","slug":"googles-quantum-breakthrough-sparks-fresh-fears-of-a-bitcoin-security-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7999","title":{"rendered":"Google\u2019s Quantum Breakthrough Sparks Fresh Fears of a Bitcoin Security Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"

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  • Google has published research outlining a much more efficient implementation of Shor\u2019s Algorithm, which will likely make it easier to use quantum computers to break current cryptographic algorithms.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Google now warns that a large-scale transition to post-quantum cryptography should occur before 2029 to address the threat posed by quantum computers.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Crypto leaders have debated the significance of the research with some considering it an existential threat to crypto, while others consider it more of an upgrade challenge.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    New research from Google has sparked fears that the threat to cryptocurrencies from quantum computing is more urgent than previously thought, triggering industry discussion about how serious of a threat quantum truly poses and how soon that threat will hit.<\/p>\n

    The research, published by Google Quantum AI researchers on March 30, describes a more efficient implementation of Shor\u2019s Algorithm, which the researchers say drastically reduces the quantum computing resources required to break current cryptographic private keys. That makes it likely the risk posed by quantum computing will become real sooner than previously expected.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Unusually, Google chose not to publish details of their more efficient method, instead opting to provide evidence via zero-knowledge proofs \u2014 suggesting they consider this method too high-risk to disclose.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    In the days before the research was published, Google publicly warned that systems should now transition to post-quantum cryptographic security by 2029.<\/p>\n

    \u201cGoogle\u2019s introducing a 2029 timeline to secure the quantum era with post-quantum cryptography (PQC) migration,\u201d Heather Adkins, Google\u2019s VP of Security Engineering, wrote in a post published March 25.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    Quantum computers will pose a significant threat to current cryptographic standards, and specifically to encryption and digital signatures.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    \n Heather Adkins, Google <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    It\u2019s not just crypto at risk from quantum computing. Most computer systems on earth \u2014 including many of the most critical systems \u2014 rely on the same elliptic-curve cryptography that digital assets use. Once quantum computers that are capable of breaking this kind of cryptography get out into the wild \u2014 a date often referred to by cryptographers as \u2018Q-Day\u2019 \u2014 most of the private keys currently being used to secure computer systems will be rendered effectively useless.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Fortunately, several cryptographic algorithms considered \u2018post-quantum\u2019 have already been developed and are ready to be used in production.<\/p>\n

    Related:Coinbase Sets Up Quantum Watchdog to Stress-Test Blockchain Security<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Crypto Leaders Differ, Give Their Takes On Quantum Threat<\/h2>\n

    Speaking on the Aubservation podcast earlier this week, Nic Carter, a founder of blockchain-focussed venture capital firm Castle Island Ventures, likened the threat of quantum computers to the development of nuclear weapons, saying \u201cit\u2019s similar stakes for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Posting on X, Haseeb Qureshi, managing partner at crypto venture capital firm Dragonfly, said the quantum threat posed to cryptocurrency is \u201cserious shit\u201d and encouraged all blockchains to look to transition to post-quantum cryptography as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThis is wild. Google Research demonstrates a ~20x more efficient implementation of Shor\u2019s algorithm that could break ECDSA keys within minutes with ~500K physical qubits,\u201d Qureshi said.<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n

    All blockchains need a transition plan ASAP. Post-quantum is no longer a drill.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    \n Haseeb Qureshi, Managing partner at Dragonfly <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    Meanwhile, Alex Pruden, CEO and co-founder of blockchain-focussed security firm Project Eleven, told The Block<\/em> that because Google\u2019s new, more efficient use of Shor\u2019s algorithm could break elliptic-curve cryptography in just a few minutes, all active Bitcoin transactions could potentially be at risk.<\/p>\n

    \u201cA 9-minute crack is faster than Bitcoin\u2019s average 10-minute block time,\u201d Pruden said. \u201cEvery active transaction is a target.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Some aren\u2019t quite so alarmed. Justin Drake, a researcher at the Ethereum Foundation, puts the risk of \u2018Q-Day\u2019 occurring by 2032 at 10% or higher, but says he considers it unlikely a cryptographically-relevant quantum computer (CRQC) will emerge before 2030, despite Google\u2019s breakthrough.<\/p>\n

    \u201cMy confidence in q-day by 2032 has shot up significantly. IMO there\u2019s at least a 10% chance that by 2032 a quantum computer recovers a secp256k1 ECDSA private key from an exposed public key,\u201d Drake said on X.<\/p>\n

    But Drake also emphasised that now is \u201cundoubtedly the time to start preparing\u201d for the quantum threat.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Related:Saylor Brushes Off Quantum Fears, Says Bitcoin Can Adapt<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Because of its decentralised and distributed nature, upgrading crypto networks to post-quantum cryptographic standards is more complex than it would be for centralised systems and could potentially lead to forking of networks and other complications.<\/p>\n

    Former Binance CEO, Changpeng \u2018CZ\u2019 Zhao, said \u201cit\u2019s hard to organize upgrades in a decentralized world. There will likely be many debates on which algorithm(s) to use, resulting in some forks.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Zhao also noted that the upgrades themselves could lead to further bugs and that users will also need to migrate to post-quantum wallets. He struck an optimistic tone, saying that fundamentally \u201cIt\u2019s always easier to encrypt than decrypt. More computing power is always good. Crypto will stay, post quantum.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

    Bitcoin,Google,Quantum Computing#Googles #Quantum #Breakthrough #Sparks #Fresh #Fears #Bitcoin #Security #Crisis1775020487<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Google has published research outlining a much more efficient implementation of Shor\u2019s Algorithm, which will likely make it easier to use quantum computers to break current cryptographic algorithms. Google now warns that a large-scale transition to post-quantum cryptography should occur before 2029 to address the threat posed by quantum computers. Crypto leaders have debated the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8000,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[91,1452,1569,1679,2080,3712,1673,1676,2138],"class_list":["post-7999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bitcoin","tag-bitcoin","tag-breakthrough","tag-crisis","tag-fears","tag-fresh","tag-googles","tag-quantum","tag-security","tag-sparks"],"yoast_head":"\nGoogle\u2019s Quantum Breakthrough Sparks Fresh Fears of a Bitcoin Security Crisis - Crypto News: Latest Cryptocurrency News and Analysis<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=7999\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Google\u2019s Quantum Breakthrough Sparks Fresh Fears of a Bitcoin Security Crisis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Google has published research outlining a much more efficient implementation of Shor\u2019s Algorithm, which will likely make it easier to use quantum computers to break current cryptographic algorithms. 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