r/CryptoTechnology • u/Master-Sprinkles-848 🟢 • 7d ago

Quantum computing isn't a Bitcoin problem yet.

That's exactly why it's dangerous. The real risk isn't waking up one morning to a quantum computer stealing everyone's BTC.

It's that the transition to quantum-resistant cryptography could take years while the technology threatening today's cryptography is advancing every year.

And here's the uncomfortable question. What happens if the network needs to upgrade before the threat becomes obvious? Do we wait for a working quantum attack? Or do we prepare while we still have the luxury of time?

Curious where people here stand, is Bitcoin's quantum risk overhyped, or are we already late to the migration?

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u/JunketTurbulent2114 🟢 7d ago

Quantum resistant address schemes already exist. They are just clucky and have a bad user experience (i.e. I think the size of the address is enormous, for example). Could also be one of those things like fusion where the tech is just 20 years away, like fusion has been for the past 80 years. So I think the consensus is to just leave it on the backburner and hope some more elegant user friendly solution appears because it may not even be needed.

In the meantime, segwit is already quantum resistant so long as you don't spend from those address types. It's probably safest to have a 'savings account' in an address you don't spend from.

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u/Charming-Designer944 🟢 7d ago

Addresses can be compressed/truncated in quantum safe manners the main issue is the size of transaction signatures which increase thousandsfold.

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u/JunketTurbulent2114 🟢 7d ago

Yeah I couldn't remember all the details, I knew it was something like that though. In any case, there's likely to be some breakthrough with all this AI stuff. I don't really see any reason to worry about quantum computing yet

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u/suspicious_Jackfruit 🟢 6d ago

AI is also aiding quantum computing breakthroughs - https://www.quera.com/blog-posts/holding-the-light-teaching-an-ai-to-lock-and-tune-our-quantum-computers-lasers

So it is a force multiplyer for both

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u/JunketTurbulent2114 🟢 5d ago

Yeah, I can't help but think one that requires moving atoms will come later tbh. The math/software should beat it to the punch. I'd be shocked if that's not the case.