The crypto community on social media is abuzz with concerns over the impact of quantum computing on the Bitcoin network encryption, following Google's unveiling of Willow.
However, Bitcoin's cryptographic algorithms -- like the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) for signatures and SHA-256 for mining, -- require millions, if not billions, of qubits to be effectively compromised by quantum computing.
Breaking Bitcoin's encryption in a feasible timeframe would necessitate a quantum computer with approximately 13 million to 1.9 billion qubits, significantly more than Willow's 105 qubits.
While Willow is still considered experimental and far from the scale needed to pose an immediate threat to Bitcoin's security, the crypto community and developers are already working on future quantum-resistant solutions.
There is consensus that any real threat from quantum computing to Bitcoin's encryption is likely years, if not decades, away. This gives ample time for the implementation of new cryptographic methods or protocol upgrades, like soft forks, to enhance Bitcoin's security against future quantum computing advancements.
