Summary
- Nobel Physics Prize winner John Martinis said quantum computers could pose a real threat to the security systems of digital assets including Bitcoin.
- He said sufficiently advanced quantum computers could crack the Bitcoin cryptographic system and private keys in a short time, threatening network security.
- He added, however, that building quantum computers capable of such attacks remains a highly difficult technical challenge, and that a transition to post-quantum cryptography could be slow and complex.
Forecast Trend Report by Period
A Nobel Prize-winning physicist has warned that quantum computers could threaten the security architecture underpinning cryptocurrencies, reviving debate over how the technology could reshape market infrastructure.
Crypto-focused outlet CryptoPol reported on April 7 that 2025 Nobel Physics Prize winner John Martinis said in an interview that quantum computers could pose a tangible threat to digital assets including Bitcoin.
"This isn't far-fetched. We have to be prepared," Martinis said. "A sufficiently advanced quantum computer could break Bitcoin's cryptographic system in a matter of minutes."
He described cryptanalysis as one of the relatively easier applications for quantum computing. Because it is based on numerical problems, it is a comparatively straightforward area to implement, he added.
Referring to Google's research, Martinis said advanced quantum computers could derive Bitcoin private keys in a short period of time, putting network security at risk.
He added that the threat is not immediate. Quantum computers capable of carrying out such attacks remain extremely difficult to build.
The report also noted that Bitcoin's decentralized structure could make any transition to post-quantum cryptography slow and complex.
Martinis previously led Google's quantum-computing efforts and is now a co-founder of Qolab, a company developing superconducting quantum computers.
Minseung Kang
minriver@bloomingbit.ioBlockchain journalist | Writer of Trade Now & Altcoin Now, must-read content for investors.
