Quantum computers could crack Bitcoin, but fixes are available now

An international group of quantum boffins reckons Bitcoin could be broken by the year 2027. The researchers from Singapore, Australia and France say that scenario represents the worst case, and would see a quantum computer able to run Shor's algorithm against the cryptocurrency's protective elliptic curve signature quicker …

[Anonymous Coward]

Thus far and no farther

> "the researchers assume quantum computers get big and fast relatively quickly..."

That itself assumes that practical quantum computing is merely a matter of improving the technology. But the actual barrier is a fundamental trait of quantum entanglement: Delicacy.

As qubits are added, entanglement becomes more likely to break down. This delicacy problem seems to grow fast and without bound. Personally I view it as God's way of preventing "cheating." ;-/

[amanfromMars 1]

Re: Thus far and no farther ...... delivers Immaculate Script Necessity for Future Perfect Drivers

That's a SMARTR [Real SMART] FailSafe for Global Operating Devices, Big John.

Some fantastic tall tale believers would beseech and preach that the/a Big Yin always provides the tools and materiel required for the future ..... and to that and/or those who can use and enable them, are ITs Abuse and Misuse the Great Satan of Temptation to Curb and Destroy/Command and Control.

'Tis Nought but a Greater IntelAIgent Game though, with and for AI at Work, Rest and Play.

Wanna Play and Choose a Situation and Position/Geolocated World Order to Command and Control Remotely from Spaces like these? It is not solely an Elite Exclusive Offer to be made only to Executive Officer Systems Administrations. ITs Advanced IntelAIgent Portals and Levers are freely available to Any and All with the Necessary Wherewithall to Wield Almighty Power and Energy Wisely and without Negative Resultant Consequences.

And that can be classed and viewed as a Revolutionary Evolutionary Morph of Do No Evil to Doing Greater Good ..... and more than just simply a little something that Google and DeepMinded are Fully Aware of, and Winging its Way to Middle and Farther Eastern Kingdoms/Fiefdoms, for they have been so advised directly via communication of Esoteric Deep Minded Ethics for Applications on Future AIMissions

[DainB]

Half a million qubits ?

Without losing quantum coherence in an instant ?

I'll bet on whatever you want we'll see 100GHz silicon (or whatever graphene is available at that time) chips long before that happens.

[Jerry G.]

If this was possible, and most likely would be, the computers managing Bitcoin, and also the users would have improved computers by then. Bitcoin management may also be managed by Quantum computers if this would ever be possible, and thus be caught up.

[polycarp]

Interesting read, but a bit late to the party. See https://theqrl.org/

Migrating to quantum-resistant techniques is really not a difficult task

[MJB7]

migrating to quantum-resistant techniques is really not a difficult task

The problem is not the migration, it's where we are going to migrate to. There are a number of proposed quantum-resistant techniques, but none of them have got much in the way of serious cryptographic review (cf the AES or SHA3 competitions). Until that has happened, post-quantum crypto is just a buzz-phrase.

[handleoclast]

Resistant to quantum resistance

Just have your quantum computer work out the state of the universe and then look for a universe where you've broken the encryption.

Simples.

Details left as an exercise for the reader.

[amanfromMars 1]

Re: Resistant to quantum resistance

Just have your quantum computer work out the state of the universe and then look for a universe where you've broken the encryption. .... handleoclast

In some universes, handleoclast, where you have broken the motivation, are states easily overtaken and taken over. And that is a major worry and cause of great concern to those states which are cloaked in chaos and dysfunction and share not their prime and sub-prime drivers.

[Brangdon]

This affects a lot more than Bitcoin

If you can break elliptical curve cryptography, Bitcoin is not the only target to attack. It is used quite widely.

[Anonymous Coward]

Or

Send a signal from a parallel Universe where Bitcoin went the way of the dodo.

All those "useless" ASIC miners available at antique shops can then be used powered by that fusion plant run using a CTC device (which is why BTc was replaced in the first place) and also power the signalling device.

I should really start writing science fiction novels...