New quantum model slashes hardware needed to break bitcoin keys by 17 times

Researchers at Alice & Bob estimate that a quantum computer with approximately 30,000 physical qubits could break the cryptography protecting Bitcoin wallets in roughly 62 minutes. Their new model requires significantly less hardware than earlier estimates, raising concerns because more than six million bitcoins are held at addresses with exposed public keys. The researchers warn that Bitcoin developers need to begin migrating to quantum-resistant security immediately. Open article →