The Google Quantum AI team has published research with updated estimates of how vulnerable elliptic curve cryptography is — showing that such an attack would require significantly fewer resources.
At the core of the study is a scenario where current cryptography — the foundation of security for most blockchains — is compromised. Google analysts concluded that such an attack would require 20 times fewer resources than previously estimated and could happen in minutes. This reduction comes from optimizations in quantum algorithms and error-correction methods.
For the market, this means that once practical quantum machines appear, the familiar protections for wallets and transactions will no longer offer reliable guarantees.
As an alternative, post-quantum cryptography is already being explored and tested. For now, traders are advised to avoid exposing their addresses unnecessarily and not to reuse them.
To validate the calculations, Google used zero-knowledge proofs, which can be verified without access to the underlying systems. Before publication, the team consulted with U.S. authorities.
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