Google Research· Research

Safeguarding cryptocurrency by disclosing quantum vulnerabilities responsibly

Ryan Babbush, Director of Research, Quantum Algorithms, and Hartmut Neven, VP of Engineering, Google Quantum AI, Google Research We’re exploring a new model for how to elucidate the code breaking capabilities of future quantum computers and outlining steps that should be taken to mitigate their consequences. Quick links Paper Share Copy link × Google has led the responsible transition to post-quantum cryptography since 2016 . In a new whitepaper , we show that future quantum computers may break the elliptic curve cryptography that protects cryptocurrency and other systems with fewer qubits and gates than previously realized. We want to raise awareness on this issue and are providing the cryptocurrency community with recommendations to improve security and stability before this is possible, including transitioning blockchains to post-quantum cryptography (PQC), which is resistant to quantum attacks. To share this research responsibly, we engaged with the U.S. …

Announced

31 Mar 2026 02:03 UTC