Quantum Computing Cracks Toy Crypto Key—What It Means for Bitcoin Security

Quantum computing has taken a symbolic step closer to testing crypto’s defenses. Researchers have shown that IBM’s 133-qubit machine can break a six-bit elliptic curve cryptographic (ECC) key. The experiment has sparked debate over whether attacks on Bitcoin and Ethereum are a distant possibility or an inevitable threat. Breaking a 6-Bit Key: Demonstration, Not Disaster Researcher Steve Tippeconnic used IBM’s ibm_torino system to crack a toy-sized six-bit ECC key, applying a Shor-style quantum attack source: https://beincrypto.com/quantum-computer-elliptic-curve-key-bitcoin-security/