IBM Claims Quantum Advantage, Warns Bitcoin Vulnerability Growing

IBM has achieved 'trusted quantum advantage', demonstrating a 70-logical-qubit computer that performed calculations beyond classical methods and confirmed the accuracy of its results. According to IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, this technology will start impacting revenue by 2028-2029 and could create $1 trillion in value by the late 2030s.

The experiment used a new error correction method to perform 2,415 logical two-qubit operations in 15 minutes. This is significant because it means that quantum computing is becoming increasingly commercialized and will soon start having real-world impacts.

However, IBM's achievement also raises concerns for the cryptocurrency industry, particularly Bitcoin. The network uses elliptic curve cryptography, which researchers estimate would require thousands of logical qubits to break. But progress is accelerating: Google Quantum AI cut its estimate of the qubits needed to break elliptic curve cryptography by roughly 20 times in March 2026, bringing it down to fewer than 500,000.

The threat to Bitcoin's security is real, but there are technical solutions available. Developers have merged BIP-360 into the proposals repository, and regulated financial institutions already have migration plans in place for post-quantum cryptography. But Bitcoin has no agreed-upon plan yet, unlike regulated institutions where regulators can set deadlines.