Quantum Computing, it's threat to Bitcoin, and the Future of Computing
A Paradigm Shift in Computing is Coming
Every once in a while, an innovation emerges that doesn’t just replace an existing technology—it redefines entire industries.
? The automobile didn’t just replace the horse; it restructured entire economies.
? The internet didn’t just digitize newspapers; it reshaped global communication, finance, and business.
? Now, quantum computing is about to challenge our fundamental assumptions about computing, AI, and digital security.
And Microsoft’s Majorana 1 chip just accelerated the timeline from “decades away” to “sooner than expected.”
?? The Majorana 1 Breakthrough—A New Era of Computing
Last week, Microsoft unveiled Majorana 1, a topological quantum processor that rewrites the rules of error correction in quantum computing.
?? Nic Carter on X:
“Microsoft is playing a different game than Google & IBM. Instead of brute-forcing more error-prone qubits, they’ve built something inherently more stable. If they pull this off, they could leapfrog everyone else.”
Here’s why this matters:
? Topological qubits are inherently more stable than conventional superconducting qubits.
? Error correction is the bottleneck for practical quantum computing—Majorana 1 is designed to solve this.
? Scaling quantum computers could now take years, not decades.
Until now, most projections put useful quantum computing 10-20 years away. Microsoft’s approach suggests we could be much closer than we thought.
So, what does that mean for AI, cryptography, and Bitcoin?
?? The Coming Collision With Bitcoin and Cryptography
Every major leap in computing has also been a leap in cryptographic risk.
? The invention of computers broke traditional ciphers.
? The rise of the internet forced a move to public-key cryptography.
? Now, quantum computing threatens to break everything we rely on for digital security.
?? Bitcoin relies on two key cryptographic foundations:
1?? SHA-256 (Proof-of-Work Mining) – Secures the Bitcoin blockchain.
2?? Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) – Protects Bitcoin wallets from theft.
Quantum computing challenges both.
?? Andrew Poelstra (Blockstream cryptographer) on X:
“The real concern isn’t quantum mining, it’s that a quantum computer could steal private keys from exposed addresses. The good news? We have time, and Bitcoin can be upgraded before this becomes a real threat.”
?? Will Quantum Kill Bitcoin Mining?
Quantum computers could theoretically mine Bitcoin faster using Grover’s algorithm, which offers a quadratic speedup for SHA-256 hashing.
But here’s the reality check:
? Today’s Bitcoin mining uses trillions of hashes per second.
? A quantum miner would need millions of high-quality qubits to compete.
? Even with quantum speedups, Bitcoin’s SHA-256 will likely be secure for another 10-20 years.
The bigger concern is not mining—it’s Bitcoin signatures.
Shor’s algorithm could break Bitcoin’s ECDSA encryption, allowing an attacker to derive private keys from public keys.
?? The fix? Bitcoin must upgrade to post-quantum cryptography (PQC)—which is already being researched. A soft fork to add quantum-resistant addresses (P2PQ) is the likely solution.
Bitcoin is not at immediate risk, but it must evolve before the 2030s.
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?? The NVIDIA Question – Does Quantum Kill GPUs?
?? Let’s rewind to the early 2000s. GPUs were originally designed for gaming—but then people realized they could accelerate AI, finance, and scientific computing.
NVIDIA went from making graphics cards for Doom and Half-Life to becoming the backbone of the AI revolution.
Fast forward to today—NVIDIA dominates AI model training. But with quantum computing on the rise, will we see history repeat itself?
??? Chris Dixon on X:
“NVIDIA is the Intel of today. The question is: who becomes the NVIDIA of quantum?”
Quantum vs. GPUs: Is NVIDIA at Risk?
? Short-Term (0-5 years): Quantum computing will complement, not replace, GPUs. NVIDIA is already integrating quantum acceleration into its software ecosystem.
? Medium-Term (5-10 years): Certain AI workloads (optimization, simulations, cryptography) could shift to Quantum Processing Units (QPUs).
? Long-Term (10+ years): If quantum computing scales, we could see AI training shift away from GPU clusters in some tasks.
?? NVIDIA’s hedge:
? NVIDIA has invested in quantum-classical hybrid computing (cuQuantum SDK).
? Quantum won’t replace GPUs overnight, but it could change the types of workloads that GPUs dominate.
? Expect NVIDIA to position itself as the bridge between classical AI and quantum AI.
Bottom line: Quantum computing isn’t a GPU killer—yet. But if NVIDIA doesn’t integrate quantum into its AI strategy, it risks being disrupted the same way it once disrupted CPUs.
? The Historical Parallel – Are We Watching the Mainframe Moment for Computing?
Think back to the 1960s.
? The world was dominated by mainframe computers.
? IBM and a few players controlled everything.
? Then came microprocessors, which completely flipped computing on its head.
The same thing happened in the 1990s with the shift from desktop to cloud computing.
Now, in 2025, quantum computing is in the same place the internet was in the early ‘90s.
??? Marc Andreessen on X:
“Every major shift in computing looks useless at first. Then it eats the world.”
Microsoft’s Majorana 1 could be the first microprocessor moment for quantum computing.
If it scales, we may look back at 2025 the same way we look at the launch of the personal computer in 1981 or the first internet browser in 1993.
Bitcoin and cryptography must evolve, NVIDIA must adapt, and businesses need to start thinking about what this new computing era will look like.
The train has left the station. The only question is: who is prepared for the shift?
?? Quantum computing is coming faster than expected—not as a replacement, but as an entirely new paradigm.
?? Bitcoin will need to upgrade its cryptography by the 2030s to remain secure in the quantum era.
?? NVIDIA’s AI dominance could be challenged if QPUs become viable AI accelerators.
?? We are witnessing the birth of a new computing age, just like the transition from mainframes to microprocessors.
?? What Do You Think?
What impact do you see quantum computing having on AI, cryptography, or Bitcoin?
Is Microsoft’s Majorana 1 a real game-changer, or is quantum computing still too far away to worry about?
Drop your thoughts in the comments.??
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3 周As someone who doesn't know much about this, I'd be interested in your opinion Yossi? What effects, if any will this have on BTC? And the timelines? PS - Am I the only one who read this and thought how could Microsoft call their chip marijuana?