Quantum computer breaks 15-bit key, sparks crypto concerns

A researcher broke a 15-bit elliptic curve key with quantum hardware, earning 1 BTC. While Bitcoin uses 256-bit keys, this highlights rising quantum risks for crypto security.

Independent researcher Giancarlo Lelli successfully broke a 15-bit elliptic curve key using publicly available quantum hardware, earning a 1 BTC bounty from Project Eleven. This achievement marks the largest public quantum attack on elliptic curve cryptography to date and is 512 times larger than previous demonstrations. While this breakthrough highlights rapid progress in quantum attacks, it is important to note that a 15-bit key is much smaller than the 256-bit elliptic curve security used in real-world systems like Bitcoin. Project Eleven emphasized that the demonstration serves as a warning about the growing reality of quantum threats. Currently, around 6.9 million Bitcoins are stored in wallets with public keys exposed on the blockchain, raising concerns about potential vulnerabilities if quantum computers become powerful enough. Recent research suggests that breaking 256-bit elliptic curve cryptography could require fewer than 500,000 physical qubits, intensifying discussions about post-quantum security for Bitcoin and other major blockchains.