# PQC Related Articles

HTX News Center provides the latest articles and in-depth analysis on "PQC", covering market trends, project updates, tech developments, and regulatory policies in the crypto industry.

Quantum Computing "Manhattan Project" Unveiled: Is the Encryption Industry at a Critical Turning Point?

"Quantum Computing 'Manhattan Project' Launched: Is the Crypto Industry at a Critical Juncture?" On June 22, former U.S. President Donald Trump signed two executive orders. The first mandates all federal agencies upgrade their cryptographic systems to new, quantum-resistant standards by 2030. The second orders the Department of Energy to lead the development of a national quantum computer, signaling a shift from laboratory research to a state-enforced national agenda. This creates a hard deadline. A powerful quantum computer could break current encryption. The threat is compounded by "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks, where encrypted data is stored today for future decryption. Federal agencies must appoint migration officers and complete post-quantum cryptography (PQC) upgrades for key establishment by 2030 and digital signatures by 2031. Procurement rules will also be changed, forcing government contractors to comply. The crypto industry faces a direct threat. Bitcoin's ECDSA signatures are theoretically vulnerable. Research indicates millions of Bitcoin with exposed public keys are at risk if quantum computers advance. While projects like Bitcoin Quantum testnets and efforts by Ethereum, Solana, NEAR, and Zcash are exploring quantum-resistant solutions, achieving consensus in decentralized networks remains a major challenge. The centralized U.S. government has started a 5-year countdown. For decentralized crypto networks, the real test is whether they can complete this anti-quantum upgrade before the theoretical threat becomes a practical reality.

Foresight News06/23 07:54

Quantum Computing "Manhattan Project" Unveiled: Is the Encryption Industry at a Critical Turning Point?

Foresight News06/23 07:54

Will Quantum Computing Kill Bitcoin and Mining? Is This Alarmist?

The article addresses the recurring concern that quantum computing could break Bitcoin's encryption and disrupt mining. It references a Google Quantum AI white paper from March 2026, which suggests that the resources needed for a quantum computer to crack Bitcoin’s elliptic curve digital signature algorithm (ECDSA) have been reduced by about 20 times. Under ideal conditions, such an attack could theoretically derive a private key from a public key in roughly 9 minutes using 500,000 physical qubits. However, the threat is not immediate. Current quantum processors, like Google’s Willow (105 qubits) or IBM’s Condor (~1,121 qubits), are far from the scale required. The risk primarily targets transaction signatures—especially during the brief window when a transaction is broadcast but not yet confirmed, or when public keys have been historically exposed. It is estimated there is only a 10% probability of a “quantum break” by 2032. The impact on mining is considered negligible. Research indicates that quantum mining would require astronomically high qubit counts and energy—far exceeding entire national grids—making it economically and physically infeasible. The broader solution lies in post-quantum cryptography (PQC). Standards like ML-DSA and SLH-DSA are being developed, and Bitcoin improvement proposals such as BIP 360 aim to reduce quantum vulnerability by modifying transaction structures to avoid exposing public keys. While quantum computing poses a future risk to all public-key encryption systems—not just Bitcoin—the cryptocurrency ecosystem has time to adapt. Upgrades and migration to quantum-resistant algorithms are underway, ensuring the network evolves ahead of the threat.

marsbit04/11 14:40

Will Quantum Computing Kill Bitcoin and Mining? Is This Alarmist?

marsbit04/11 14:40

DeFi loses $169M in Q1 as Circle pushes for quantum security – Details

DeFi security in Q1 saw $169 million lost across 34 protocols, primarily to operational weaknesses rather than cryptographic failures. Key compromises and permission errors accounted for a majority of attacks, with 63% linked to access control issues. While immediate threats remain execution-based, long-term quantum risks are gaining attention. Circle is proactively adopting Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), and new chains like Arc are building quantum-resistant features natively to avoid future upgrade challenges. Legacy chains, however, face slow adoption due to scalability and coordination hurdles, with significant value still locked in incumbent systems. The market currently prioritizes liquidity and usability, delaying broader PQC transition despite rising future threats.

ambcrypto04/07 03:58

DeFi loses $169M in Q1 as Circle pushes for quantum security – Details

ambcrypto04/07 03:58

Bitcoin Is At Major Risk From This Single Factor And It’s Not As Far Away As You Think; Google

Google's Quantum AI team has issued a warning that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are more vulnerable to quantum computing attacks than previously thought. The security of these digital assets relies on elliptic curve cryptography (ECD-256), which was believed to require a quantum computer with millions of qubits to break. However, Google's optimized implementation of Shor’s algorithm suggests that only about 1,200–1,450 logical qubits and fewer than 500,000 physical qubits would be needed to compromise the system in minutes. While the threat is not immediate, Google emphasizes that the risk is closer than many assume and recommends transitioning to post-quantum cryptography (PQC). The company is collaborating with entities like Coinbase, the Stanford Institute for Blockchain Research, and the Ethereum Foundation, targeting a 2029 migration timeline. However, upgrading decentralized networks like Bitcoin will require broad consensus and complex protocol changes, posing significant implementation challenges. The crypto industry is urged to begin preparations to mitigate this emerging quantum risk.

bitcoinist04/03 01:01

Bitcoin Is At Major Risk From This Single Factor And It’s Not As Far Away As You Think; Google

bitcoinist04/03 01:01

The Quantum Computing Threat to Bitcoin

Bitcoin faces an existential threat from quantum computing, which could break the elliptic curve digital signature algorithm (ECDSA) securing the network. Approximately 25% of all bitcoin—including the 1.1 million BTC in Satoshi’s wallet—are stored in vulnerable early "pay-to-public-key" addresses, where public keys are exposed on the ledger. Later address types only reveal public keys during transactions, creating a brief attack window. The timeline for quantum computing is uncertain, but if it emerges before Bitcoin transitions to post-quantum cryptography (PQC), attackers could steal and liquidate billions in bitcoin, causing a market collapse. A coordinated migration to quantum-resistant algorithms is urgently needed, though implementing PQC could take 6 months to 2 years. A controversial proposal suggests "burning" un-migrated coins to prevent mass theft, but this risks setting a precedent for confiscation and contradicts Bitcoin’s core principles of individual sovereignty. As the largest financial "honeypot" with direct and liquid value, Bitcoin is a prime target. The network must proactively upgrade before quantum computers become capable of breaking current encryption.

marsbit02/02 12:13