# Will Quantum Computing Topple BTC?

*Author: Jack Inabinet*
*Published: Jan 13, 2025*
*Source: https://www.bankless.com/de/read/will-quantum-computing-topple-btc*

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On today’s episode of the Bankless Podcast, theoretical computer scientist Scott Aaronson joined co-hosts Ryan Sean Adams and David Hoffman to discuss a seismic shift in technology that threatens to undermine the very fabric of cryptography.

Google's recently unveiled Willow quantum computer chip is the first to ever [feature](https://x.com/tsarnick/status/1866201238834221117) “logical qubits,” a critical advancement that allows the accuracy of a quantum computer to scale with its size.

While this emergent technology still remains too immature to topple crypto, if a quantum computer with tens of thousands of logical qubits were to be developed overnight, it would render the Bitcoin network obsolete!

Quantum computers will excel at breaking elliptical curves – allowing them to effortlessly crack Bitcoin’s private key cryptography schemes – and can search for information with unparalleled speed – enabling them to handily outperform every BTC miner in existence.

Without action, up to 4M BTC ($380B) stands to be stolen in a nanosecond as the decentralization guarantees of the Bitcoin network vanish overnight, and although there is a way to mitigate these concerns before they become reality, any change appears bound to undermine Bitcoin’s property rights guarantees and fragment social consensus!

Quantum computing isn’t just a theoretical threat: it’s an imminent challenge. Will Bitcoin protect its legacy or crumble under the pressure? Maybe quantum money is the answer we need… 

*Tune into the Bankless Podcast to learn more about Bitcoin’s quantum conundrum and discover why Ethereum might thrive in the post-quantum future!*

[Will Quantum Computing Kill Bitcoin? | Scott Aaronson & Justin Drake on BanklessWe need to prepare for Quantum Computing![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/b7/e4b77544-5a37-4f0b-8824-8440aa348476/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-163.png)Bankless![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/e4/b7/e4b77544-5a37-4f0b-8824-8440aa348476/content/images/thumbnail/-Thumb--Scott-Aaronson-Mon-Pod.jpg)](https://www.bankless.com/podcast/will-quantum-computing-kill-bitcoin-scott-aaronson-justin-drake)