10x Research

BIG ISSUE (Must Read) Google’s Hidden Quantum Bomb: Bitcoin and Ethereum Signatures Could Be Broken** Quantum computers threatening Bitcoin and Ethereum signatures is no longer just a distant story it’s quietly becoming reality. What makes this issue even more significant is not just the advancement of quantum technology itself, but the fact that **Google discovered a powerful technique and chose not to reveal it**. On March 31, Google Quantum AI published a paper showing a major improvement to Shor’s algorithm roughly **10 times** more efficient than before. They even demonstrated how it could be applied to secp256k1 (ECDSA), the signature scheme used by both Bitcoin and Ethereum. However, they deliberately withheld the most powerful optimization method. Instead, they only used ZK Proof to show “we know a better way” without disclosing it. Academics have called this the world’s first **ZK-based academic censorship**. It’s also known that Google discussed this with the U.S. government beforehand. Ironically, trying to hide it had the opposite effect. In just two months, French researcher André Schrottenloher rediscovered Google’s key technique. World renowned Shor’s algorithm expert Craig Gidney even admitted, “I knew about this a year ago but delayed publishing due to pressure.” Since then, the public challenge **ecdsa fail** has launched. Now, not only experts but also AI-using developers, regular programmers, and even teenagers are competing to find better optimizations. Results already **8.4% better** than Google’s version have emerged. The hardware side is equally striking. A startup called Oratomic claimed in their paper that combining Google’s algorithmic improvement with **neutral atom** technology could break secp256k1 using just **10,000 physical qubits** far fewer than previously expected. After hundreds of hours of study and expert discussions, Justin Drake concluded the technology is “very realistic.” Google is also reportedly shifting its research focus toward neutral atoms. So when is **Q-Day** the day quantum computers can actually break real-world cryptography? Justin Drake’s current outlook: - Probability of Q-Day by **2030**: **10%** - Probability of Q-Day by **2032**: **50%** While governments like the U.S. are preparing for 2035, many experts believe it could come earlier. Of course, we’re not at the stage of large-scale quantum computers yet, so there’s no need for immediate panic. However, this is no longer a distant future problem it’s becoming something we need to prepare for **steadily and seriously** starting now. $ETH Ethereum is already taking action, with a roadmap targeting 2029 to transition signatures to hash-based + SNARK structures. $BTC Bitcoin is also watching this trend closely. Conclusion Google’s attempt to hide the quantum bomb ended up waking more people up. Technology spreads faster when hidden, and more brilliant minds come together to solve it. There’s no need to panic, but being prepared has never been more important.