Musk Backs Theory That Quantum Computers Have Limits to Growth
Oxford physicist Tim Palmer has proposed that quantum computers have limits to their growth. He predicts they will stall between 200 and 400 qubits, far from the estimated 835 logical qubits needed to break Bitcoin's signatures.
Palmer's theory challenges standard quantum mechanics, which allows for continuous values like √2. He argues these irrational numbers don't have a physical basis, rendering quantum's strangest phenomena imaginary. His work, published in March, sets a wall at 200-400 qubits on current hardware and claims it will never pass 1,000.
Elon Musk backed the theory when asked about the universe being made of fixed chunks. He said nothing about Bitcoin or private keys. Investor Fred Krueger cited him to claim Bitcoin is already quantum-safe due to the high number of logical qubits required to break its signatures with Shor's algorithm.
The gap between current hardware and the needed 835 logical qubits remains significant. IBM plans a machine with 200 logical qubits by 2029, which would test Palmer's floor but not touch Bitcoin.