DeutschThe threat is coming quietly, almost invisibly—and could shake the very foundations of the entire crypto world. In a recent report, Google is sounding the alarm: quantum computers could overcome the security mechanisms that Bitcoin and many other cryptocurrencies rely on far faster than previously assumed.
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Specifically, it’s about a principle that has so far been considered virtually unbreakable. So-called elliptic-curve cryptography—a method that prevents a private key from being derived from a public key. This is exactly where the new findings from Google Research come in. According to the report, the computing power required for this has dropped dramatically.
Google warns: Bitcoin could soon be cracked in minutes
“In the past, millions of qubits were needed,” the analysis says, in essence. Today, that threshold is “below 500,000.” The key sentence feels like a stab to the heart of every blockchain: an attack could be “completed in minutes.”
The full implications only become clear on a second look. On average, a Bitcoin block takes around ten minutes to be confirmed. If a quantum computer were faster, an attacker could theoretically manipulate transactions before they are finalized on the blockchain. A scenario that was long considered science fiction suddenly feels within reach.
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But we’re not there yet. Even the most advanced quantum computers currently don’t have the stability and scale needed to carry out such attacks in practice. So the warning is less an immediate emergency and more a wake-up call—and it’s a loud one.
Google is urging the industry to act. By 2029 at the latest, crypto systems should switch to quantum-resistant encryption. “Everyone should switch to resilient systems in good time,” is the report’s clear recommendation. Behind this sober wording lies a race against time.
Which crypto wallets are especially in focus
The focus is especially on so-called “old” wallets. This refers to addresses where the public key has already become visible—for example through past transactions. In a worst-case scenario, these could become easier targets for an attack. Newer or as-yet unused wallets, by contrast, are considered better protected because their public key hasn’t been revealed.
The irony: while many investors worry about price moves, the bigger danger may lie deeper in the system itself. Not the market, but the technology could become the challenge. At the same time, a familiar pattern from tech history emerges. What’s considered secure today can already be outdated tomorrow. Cryptography was never static, but always a race between defense and attack. Quantum computers are now dramatically accelerating that race.
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For the crypto industry, above all, this means one thing: preparation. Developers, exchanges, and wallet providers face the task of adapting their systems before theory becomes practice. For users, that means: stay alert without panicking. Because despite all the drama, one thing is also true: not a single Bitcoin has yet been stolen by a quantum computer. But the warning from Google makes it clear that the question is no longer if—but when. (mck)
