Nobel Prize Winner in Physics Warns: Bitcoin Faces Quantum Computing Threat, Window Period Approaching

Odaily News, former Google quantum hardware lead and 2025 Nobel Prize winner in Physics, John Martinis, has warned that Bitcoin could become one of the first real-world targets of quantum computing attacks. He stated that recent Google research indicates advanced quantum computers might be able to derive Bitcoin private keys within minutes, significantly undermining the computational security barriers the network currently relies on. Because Bitcoin relies on elliptic curve cryptography and the network upgrades slowly and is decentralized, this makes the quantum threat more difficult to address compared to traditional financial systems. The exposure window of public keys when Bitcoin transactions are broadcast could be exploited by quantum computers to intercept funds before a transaction is finalized.

John Martinis emphasized that while building such quantum computers remains an extremely challenging engineering task, the community cannot afford to be complacent. He recommends planning for quantum-resistant upgrades as early as possible, estimating that related threats will gradually emerge within the next 5 to 10 years. (CoinDesk)