Research Shows: Quantum Hegemony Impact on Bitcoin Is Still Too Large

One researcher believes that if quantum computing is to achieve the feasibility of breaking encryption technology, it will face obstacles that many people do not realize. In a recent report, Dr. Subhash Kak, a director professor of electrical and computer engineering at Oklahoma State University, pointed out that problems such as "noise" and error correction make quantum hegemony impact bit. Coins are still largely theoretical.

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The shortcomings of quantum hegemony

In essence, "quantum hegemony" refers to the demonstration that quantum computers can solve some problems that traditional computers cannot solve. There is no doubt that this has been achieved, but for people in the cryptocurrency field, the important questions focus on what kind of problems to solve. Although the development of quantum hegemony is indeed a dilemma for cryptocurrency holders who are worried about private keys, there is little evidence that the problems solved by quantum hegemony technology have great practicality in cracking the encryption involving cryptocurrencies .

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"These companies are trying to build hardware that replicates traditional computer circuit models. However, current experimental systems have less than 100 qubits. To get useful computing performance, you may need a computer with hundreds of thousands of qubits." Subhash Dr. Kak said in a recent article.

Although groups like D-wave have 2000 qubits, the applications are different. D-wave's focus is on optimization through a process called "quantum annealing," which is, according to Kak, "a narrower method of quantum computing … qubits are used to accelerate optimization problems." Therefore, D-wave's claim Aroused some criticism. A recent report on the subject described the D-wave system as "skimmed milk" compared to other computers.

Noise and error correction

According to Kak, the real difficulty in achieving actual quantum cryptographic cracking lies in the concepts of noise and error correction. Researcher details:

"In order for computers to function properly, they must correct all small random errors. In quantum computers, such errors are caused by non-ideal circuit elements and the interaction of qubits with the environment around them."

"For these reasons, qubits can lose consistency in a fraction of a second, so calculations must be completed in less time. If random errors that are unavoidable in any physical system are not corrected, the computer's results will Worthless. "

This error correction makes things more complicated. Potential noise-related errors require more qubits. The theoretical physicist Mikhail Dyakonov described the incredible nature of the problem, saying:

"While a conventional computer with N bits at any given moment must be in one of its 2N possible states, the state of a quantum computer with N qubits is described by a value of 2N quantum amplitudes, which is a continuous parameter ( Take any value, not only 0 or 1.) This is the origin of the capabilities that a quantum computer should have, but it is also the reason for its huge vulnerability.

So at any given moment … the number of continuous parameters describing the state of such a useful quantum computer is much greater than the number of subatomic particles in the observable universe.

In other words, the advantages of practical quantum computing can also be seen as its fatal weakness. Because it can handle so many variables, these seemingly endless variables also open the door to greater potential errors. The resulting hardware and logistical considerations are not discussed as often as other issues, but according to two researchers, these areas are critical.

A look at the quantum computing hype

Like Kak, Dyakonov pointed out the hype surrounding the field of quantum computing, which has been evolving and has been a source of speculative activity for decades. Although it is unclear how far the current classified government and high-level scientific development may go, according to observers with relevant professional education, it seems that there is still a long way to go and the Bitcoin network may be in danger. At this point, many people have proposed that algorithm upgrades are a potential solution.

Nonetheless, like the ongoing fusion work, quantum computing cannot be ignored. Theoretically, an unexpected breakthrough can happen at any time and change the rules of the game. For Kak, he remains skeptical:

"As someone who has worked in quantum computing for many years, I think it is unlikely that a useful quantum computer will be built because of random errors inevitably in hardware."

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