Google has published research indicating a future quantum computer could derive a Bitcoin private key from its public key in about nine minutes, raising concerns over the security of blockchain systems.
The finding highlights a fundamental shift in computing, where quantum machines use qubits that can exist in multiple states simultaneously rather than classical binary bits.
This approach allows quantum systems to explore vast numbers of possibilities at once, potentially breaking the cryptographic assumptions that protect Bitcoin and other digital assets.
Unlike traditional computers that process calculations sequentially, quantum computers exploit superposition and entanglement to evaluate many outcomes in parallel before collapsing to the most likely answer.
The technology relies on highly controlled physical environments, including superconducting circuits cooled to near absolute zero, where particles behave according to quantum mechanics rather than classical physics.
This capability poses a direct threat to encryption, as Bitcoin’s security depends on the practical impossibility of reversing a public key into its corresponding private key using classical computation.
A sufficiently advanced quantum computer running Shor’s algorithm could reverse that process efficiently, undermining the core mechanism that secures ownership of Bitcoin and potentially exposing millions of wallets.
At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $69,218.67.