Key Takeaways:

Google Research published a document, it is about the threat that quantum computers focus on current blockchain encryption.
These estimates will show that breaking Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), this is the security used by Bitcoin and Ethereum, could require fewer resources than we thought.
Google recommends that the crypto community transition to Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC) by 2029 to ensure stability.

Google Research released an update on Research Blog, it is a quantum alarm for the digital asset. The report confirms that while a Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computer (CRQC) doesn’t exist, the number of qubits and logic gates required to break standard crypto signatures is decreasing. This research is an alarm for developers to begin upgrading the fundamental plumbing of the internet before 2029.
New Estimates for Breaking Bitcoin’s Signatures
The focus of the report is the ECDLP 256 algorithm, which is the foundation for Bitcoin’s signatures. Experts believed it would take decades to build a machine capable of solving this. However, Google’s new data suggests that technology will reach it soon. The report said that this is not an immediate threat. Users will have 3 to 10 years away from a machine that can execute these attacks. Bitcoin and Ethereum are secure right now, but the threat is growing.
How This Compares to RSA-2048 Estimates
Responsible Disclosure via Zero Knowledge Proofs
To protect the industry, Google chose to reveal findings using Zero Knowledge Proofs (ZKP). This method will allow Google to prove that they found an efficient way to calculate quantum risks without giving hackers a roadmap or instructions on how to build an attack. This approach is designed to prevent market panic while providing essential data to security partners like Coinbase and the Ethereum Foundation. Google suggests that blockchain protocols should stop reusing wallet addresses, because a reused address will expose the public key that a quantum computer would target.
Google suggests migrate blockchain to PQC
It is important to distinguish between encryption and hashing. While signatures (ECDSA) are vulnerable to quantum computers, hash functions like SHA 256 which Bitcoin uses for mining are more resistant. This will follow the trend of protocol upgrades where the goal is to make the network more resilient and unified against future challenges.
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The Path to Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)
The crypto community is preparing for this transition. Ethereum researchers are testing Quantum Resistant signatures, and Bitcoin developers introduced BIPs (Bitcoin Improvement Proposals) for Schnorr signatures, which will provide a foundation for future security upgrades. Google’s recommendation to complete the PQC transition by 2029 aligns with global cybersecurity standards.
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