What Google's quantum computer means for Bitcoin
Google has ushered in a new era in quantum research. With the “Quantum Echoes” algorithm running on the Willow chip, the company is demonstrating verifiable quantum computation for the first time – and with a real, physically relevant problem. This brings the path to practical applications in chemistry, medicine, and materials research closer than ever before.
The new method is not only fast—it's 13,000 times faster than conventional supercomputers—but also verifiable: The calculation can be repeated and confirmed on other quantum computers. Google writes:
For the first time in history, a quantum computer has successfully executed a verifiable algorithm that surpasses the performance of supercomputers. Quantum verifiability means that the result can be repeated on our quantum computer—or any other computer of the same performance class—to obtain the same answer and confirm the result.
At the heart of the experiment is a physical effect called the Out-of-Time-Order Correlator (OTOC). This quantum mechanical “echo test” measures how information propagates within a qubit system—comparable to a sonar wave that reveals information about an object upon its return. The advantage: The measurement results are extremely sensitive and provide precise insights into molecular structures.
These could be the consequences for Bitcoin
For the crypto industry, these aren't abstract visions of the future. Quantum computers pose a long-term threat to traditional encryption methods—including the ECDSA signatures widely used in blockchain. Practical attacks are still unrealistic. But Google's latest breakthrough shows that solutions are needed.
Quantum computer expert Markus Pflitsch echoes this sentiment. In an interview with BTC-ECHO, he explained: “SHA256 and AES, on which the blockchain is based, are particularly interesting for Bitcoin. AES relies on a four-step process, which I can partially break down so that I can efficiently translate it into a system of equations that can be calculated on a quantum computer. This means: AES is at risk.” AES stands for Advanced Encryption Standard and describes the asymmetric cryptography standard used to calculate private keys, for example. If AES is at risk, private keys—the access code to the vaults containing crypto assets—are also at risk.
Hedge fund manager Charles Edwards has also been sounding the alarm for some time: “If we don’t solve the problem with quantum computers next year, we will probably experience the biggest bear market of all time.”
I used to think future Bitcoin bear markets would have a lower drawdowns. But if we don't solve on Quantum next year, we probably get the biggest bear market ever.
— Charles Edwards (@caprioleio) October 22, 2025 Read also
Google's new quantum processor: Is Willow a threat to Bitcoin?
One remaining issue—even with a quantum-safe update—is that coins would have to be transferred from an existing address to a quantum-safe BTC address. This raises the question of who, for example, would then send Satoshi Nakamoto's Bitcoin to such a new address. If this doesn't happen, the private keys to Satoshi's coins would one day be cracked—and “a million Bitcoin would be thrown onto the market.”
Quantum computers can even make encryption more secure
But there's also good news. Using quantum key distribution, quantum computers could also be used to create quantum-secure encryption algorithms. “That's the good side of this 'quantum threat' coin; the solution is actually on the back,” says Pflitsch.
With the apparently functional Willow quantum computer, Google has increased the pressure on the Bitcoin community to actually implement corresponding solutions.
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Sources
- Blog post from Google
- Charles Edwards on X
Eine Quelle: btc-echo.de
