Decrypting if you prefer….
Yes, sufficiently advanced quantum computers could potentially break Bitcoin's security by using Shor's algorithm to derive private keys from public keys. While not an immediate threat in 2026, experts estimate 20–50% of circulating Bitcoin could be vulnerable in the future due to exposed public keys. The risk includes a "harvest now, break later" approach, where encrypted data is stored for future decryption.
Key Aspects of the Threat:
Vulnerable Wallets: Wallets that have previously sent transactions (revealing their public key) are at higher risk.
"Q-Day": The future point where quantum computers are powerful enough to break encryption.
"Harvest Now, Decrypt Later": Attackers may be collecting public keys now to break them when technology catches up.
Required Power: Breaking Bitcoin's elliptic curve cryptography would require, by some estimates, millions to billions of stable qubits, which is far beyond current 2026 capabilities.
Solutions: The Bitcoin network can upgrade to quantum-resistant signatures (post-quantum cryptography) to mitigate this threat.
Although a significant threat, the development of quantum-safe cryptographic standards is already underway to protect digital assets.
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Speculation that Bitcoin etc are falling because quantum computing will find ... [more]