Tom Howard
This is a popular misconception of the Quantum risk. Let me try to simplify the risk here (and @nic_carter @YuviLightman @ebfull feel free to correct any errors): - Quantum does not break all encryption. Shor’s algorithm breaks schemes based on discrete log or factoring, including all standard elliptic-curve cryptography. - Quantum can’t break everything at once. It must target a specific public key. With sufficient qubits, it solves that key’s discrete log. There’s no “mass decrypt” lever. - Early quantum attacks will be slow and extremely expensive. Time per key might start at months, then accelerate to weeks, days, hours, and eventually seconds as hardware scales. - Web2 can rotate to post-quantum quickly. Web infrastructure and messaging system keys rotate frequently and many critical keys aren’t exposed long-term. The attack surface moves faster than early quantum machines. - Bitcoin is structurally different. Pre Taproot outputs expose full public keys on-chain forever. Millions of public keys are immutable, static targets. - Once quantum reaches the threshold to break a single ECDSA key, attackers will pick specific wallets. High-value or exposed UTXOs would be stolen selectively. It’s not an instantaneous network-wide collapse; it’s predation. - Bitcoin governance strongly resists major cryptographic upgrades and may not coordinate a timely migration. All this means BITCOIN IS UNIQUELY VULNERABLE to quantum attacks compared to web2 systems that can rotate cryptography quickly. Meanwhile ZCASH already has meaningful mitigations and a path to full PQ security: - Shielded Zcash does not expose public keys on-chain. Without public keys, Shor cannot even begin an attack. If your ZEC is transparent, shielding it removes the primary quantum attack surface. - Zcash can upgrade its core cryptography through regular network upgrades. Post-quantum SNARKs, commitments, and signatures can be adopted as standards mature. - The upcoming Tachyon design eliminates address exposure entirely. No public keys, no linkage, no input for Shor. (and you thought Tachyon was just about scalability 😉) The world is not doomed in post quantum, but Bitcoin today, is.
Maxlife
@_TomHoward Bitcoin hacking by quantum is not happening . If that happens the world is doomed regardless. Any quantum resistant shitcoin will be of no help.