TLDR Tech / InfoSec
Safeguarding cryptocurrency by disclosing quantum vulnerabilities responsibly
Google Quantum AI published updated resource estimates showing that Shor's algorithm can break ECDLP-256, the elliptic curve cryptography underpinning most blockchains and cryptocurrency wallets, using fewer than 500,000 physical qubits and 70 to 90 million Toffoli gates, representing a roughly 20-fold reduction over prior estimates. To disclose the finding without handing attackers a blueprint, Google published a zero-knowledge proof allowing third parties to verify the claims without exposing the underlying quantum circuits. Blockchain operators should begin migrating to post-quantum cryptography now, avoid exposing or reusing wallet addresses that reveal public keys, and follow Google's 2029 PQC migration timeline alongside Coinbase, the Ethereum Foundation, and the Stanford Institute for Blockchain Research.
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