Bitcoin's quantum weaknessīitcoin's security system is considered ultra-secure against classical computers, which is why it offers a terrific way to gauge quantum computing power. Short answer? Several millions more than IBM's mere 127-qubit processor lighting the way. These numbers aren't nearly enough for quantum breakthroughs.īut what would be? In an attempt to judge how far along the quantum timeline we currently are, Mark Webber, a quantum architect at English startup Universal Quantum, and his team calculated the amount of qubits one would theoretically need to hack the formidable security system employed by bitcoin, the decentralized digital currency that's been a volatile investment, captured the attention of Elon Musk and become the symbol of a looming revolution in finance.

Most current quantum processors top out at a few dozen qubits, and the largest processor, built by IBM, presently stands at 127 qubits. Qubits, the basic units in the quantum version of computer language, are the driving force behind a quantum PC's power. Prototype quantum computers still work on relatively small scales.

We could be on the verge of a quantum revolution where scientists can develop medication at record speeds, predict weather with incredible certainty and uncover new angles on physics. Even manufacturing companies, such as automobile giant BMW, have entered the quantum game because it could perfect materials science and rewrite the framework for artificial intelligence. It could boost internet security toward near-unhackability, earning attention from the US Department of Energy.

It could hyperfast-track drug discovery by rapidly sifting through molecular structures, a feat IBM has partnered with Cleveland Clinic to explore. Quantum computing holds the potential to transform how we interact with nature.

The quantum machine solved it in 200 seconds.īut the hype goes far beyond superhero calculations. In 2020, for instance, Chinese scientists tapped a quantum computer to run a math problem that would've taken a typical supercomputer 2.5 billion years to solve. During the last decade, computational programming has evolved steadily and reached into the quantum domain, yielding mind-bending devices that promise unthinkable levels of power.

Quantum break crack status