IBM’s 120-Qubit Quantum Advance Edges Closer to Potential Bitcoin Encryption Risks

• IBM achieves genuine multipartite entanglement across 120 qubits using superconducting circuits and advanced error suppression techniques.

• The breakthrough surpasses previous efforts, including Google’s 105-qubit Willow chip, by demonstrating higher stability in quantum states.

• This progress heightens concerns for Bitcoin, with an estimated 6.6 million BTC—valued at around $767 billion—potentially vulnerable to future quantum attacks, according to Project 11 research.

IBM quantum computing breakthrough edges closer to cracking Bitcoin encryption. Explore the 120-qubit experiment’s implications for crypto security and what it means for investors today—stay informed on evolving threats.

What is IBM’s 120-Qubit Quantum Computing Breakthrough?

IBM’s 120-qubit quantum computing breakthrough involves creating the most significant and stable entangled quantum state ever achieved, using techniques from graph theory and stabilizer groups to suppress noise in the system. This experiment, detailed in the paper “Big Cats: Entanglement in 120 Qubits and Beyond,” demonstrates genuine multipartite entanglement across all qubits, a crucial milestone toward building fault-tolerant quantum computers. These advancements could one day enable algorithms capable of breaking modern encryption methods, including those securing Bitcoin transactions.

How Does This Quantum Experiment Impact Bitcoin’s Encryption?

IBM’s quantum experiment pushes the boundaries of entanglement by generating a Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger (GHZ) state, often referred to as a “cat state,” where all 120 qubits exist in a superposition of zero and one simultaneously. This state is highly sensitive to imperfections, making it an ideal benchmark for quantum platforms like superconducting circuits, as noted in the research. The team employed an adaptive compiler to route operations through the least noisy parts of the chip and used temporary uncomputation to stabilize qubits, achieving a fidelity score of 0.56—above the 0.5 threshold that confirms full quantum coherence.

Verification relied on parity oscillation tests and Direct Fidelity Estimation, sampling stabilizers to ensure qubit synchronization without exhaustive computation, which would be infeasible for 120 qubits. While current systems lack the power to directly threaten cryptography, this stability marks progress toward scalable quantum machines. For Bitcoin, the implications are profound: quantum algorithms like Shor’s could factor large numbers exponentially faster than classical computers, potentially exposing public keys and allowing fund theft from vulnerable addresses.

Project 11, a quantum computing research group, estimates that 6.6 million BTC—approximately 31% of the total supply and worth about $767.28 billion—are at risk because their public keys are already exposed. This includes coins held by Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto. Alex Pruden, founder of Project 11, emphasized in a statement to COINOTAG, “This is one of Bitcoin’s biggest controversies: what to do with Satoshi’s coins. You can’t move them, and Satoshi is presumably gone. So what happens to that Bitcoin? It’s a significant portion of the supply. Do you burn it, redistribute it, or let a quantum computer get it? Those are the only options.”

The broader context includes intensifying competition among tech giants. IBM’s achievement eclipses Google’s recent 105-qubit Willow chip, which performed a physics simulation faster than any classical supercomputer. Other players like Quantinuum are also advancing toward fault-tolerant systems, with IBM aiming for practical implementations by 2030. These developments underscore the need for the cryptocurrency industry to prepare through quantum-resistant algorithms, such as those being explored in Bitcoin Improvement Proposals.

Quantum states like GHZ have applications beyond cryptography threats; they enable quantum sensing at the Heisenberg limit, the theoretical maximum precision for measurements. Historically, such states have benchmarked diverse platforms, from trapped ions to photons, highlighting their versatility. IBM’s use of noise-suppressed circuits ensures the entanglement remains viable, a step essential for error-corrected quantum computing where logical qubits can operate reliably despite physical imperfections.

In practical terms, building larger entangled states addresses a core challenge: decoherence, where quantum information degrades due to environmental noise. By disentangling and recomputing qubits temporarily, IBM mitigated this, scaling from smaller demonstrations to 120 qubits without proportional fidelity loss. This methodological innovation could accelerate progress in quantum error correction, vital for running complex algorithms on noisy hardware.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Makes IBM’s 120-Qubit Entanglement a Threat to Bitcoin Security?

IBM’s 120-qubit entanglement creates a stable, multipartite quantum state that advances fault-tolerant computing, potentially enabling Shor’s algorithm to break Bitcoin’s elliptic curve cryptography. This could allow reconstruction of private keys from exposed public keys, risking theft of dormant funds. While not immediate, it signals the urgency for the crypto community to adopt post-quantum signatures to safeguard assets.

Is Quantum Computing Ready to Crack Bitcoin Encryption Today?

No, current quantum systems like IBM’s 120-qubit experiment are not powerful enough to crack Bitcoin’s encryption, which requires millions of stable qubits for practical attacks. However, the demonstrated fidelity of 0.56 in GHZ states shows rapid progress toward scalable machines. Bitcoin users should monitor developments and consider quantum-safe wallets for long-term protection, as threats may emerge within the next decade.

Key Takeaways

• Largest Entangled State: IBM’s 120-qubit GHZ state achieves the highest fidelity to date at 0.56, proving full quantum coherence across the system.
• Crypto Vulnerability: Around 6.6 million BTC, including Satoshi’s holdings, face potential quantum risks due to exposed public keys, per Project 11 analysis.
• Industry Preparation: With targets like IBM’s 2030 fault-tolerant goal, cryptocurrency developers must prioritize quantum-resistant upgrades to maintain security.

Conclusion

IBM’s quantum computing breakthrough with its 120-qubit entangled state represents a pivotal advancement in creating stable, large-scale quantum systems, bringing the specter of quantum threats to Bitcoin encryption into sharper focus. By surpassing benchmarks and employing innovative noise-suppression methods, this experiment highlights the accelerating pace of quantum technology. As competition heats up among leaders like Google and Quantinuum, the cryptocurrency sector must proactively integrate quantum-resistant protocols to protect against future vulnerabilities—investors and developers alike should stay vigilant and explore secure alternatives now to ensure the longevity of digital assets.