Bitcoin's Quantum Computing Threat โ Real Risk or Just FUD?
The quantum computing narrative is back. This time at an Ethereum event. Should you actually be worried about your BTC?
Quantum computing just stole the spotlight at a major Ethereum gathering. The narrative is simple: quantum computers could eventually break Bitcoin's cryptography. Scary stuff, right?
The Actual Threat
Current quantum computers have around 1,000 qubits. To crack Bitcoin's SHA-256 encryption, you would need roughly 4 million qubits. We are not even close.
IBM's roadmap targets 100,000 qubits by 2033. Even that is 40x short of what is needed. And that is assuming zero error correction overhead โ which is not realistic.
Why It Keeps Coming Up
Every 6 months, someone at a conference mentions quantum + crypto and the media runs with it. It is the crypto equivalent of "AI will take all jobs" โ technically possible in theory, decades away in practice.
The Real Play
Bitcoin developers are already working on quantum-resistant signature schemes. The network will upgrade long before quantum computers become a real threat. That is the beauty of open-source development โ the community adapts.
If quantum computing actually threatened BTC, it would also break every bank, every government system, every encrypted communication on earth. Bitcoin would be the least of our problems.
0xShadow Take
Pure FUD. Useful for generating clicks, useless for making trading decisions. Focus on what matters: on-chain data, macro environment, and actual market structure. Not hypothetical threats from 2040.
