- Elon Musk questions Bitcoin’s security against future quantum advances.
- Grok AI confirms minimal near-term risk to Bitcoin.
- The discourse on quantum impact remains speculative and non-imminent.
Elon Musk questioned AI chatbot Grok on the potential threat of quantum computing to Bitcoin’s SHA-256 hashing, following IBM’s roadmap announcement for a 2,000-qubit system by 2033.
The query sparked debate on Bitcoin’s security, indicating negligible immediate risk but urging future-proofing through quantum-resistant research, affecting market speculation.
Elon Musk asked Grok AI, an AI chatbot tied to X, about the potential threat of quantum computing to Bitcoin’s SHA-256 hashing algorithm. This query followed IBM’s ambitious quantum computing roadmap, targeting 2,000 qubits by 2033.
Key figures like Elon Musk, involved in Bitcoin through Tesla and SpaceX, spurred this discussion. Grok AI’s evaluation indicated a minimal short-term risk posed by quantum computing to Bitcoin’s current cryptographic security.
No immediate market impact followed the discussion, as investors and analysts interpreted the threat as speculative. Current industry reactions remain focused on the theoretical risks, awaiting any real technological breakthroughs in quantum computing.
The financial world sees no pressing changes, maintaining its stance on Bitcoin’s safety. Experts agree on continuous algorithm monitoring and a potential shift to quantum-resistant systems like SHA-3 or SHA-512 if necessary.
Discussions around quantum computing risks have recurred, with no tangible threats to blockchain protocols thus far. The industry remains attentive, observing quantum advancements while considering possible defense strategies like migration to new architectures. According to Grok AI, “Based on 2025 assessments from NIST, IBM, and expert surveys, the probability of quantum computing cracking SHA-256 (via Grover’s algorithm, reducing preimage search to ~2^128 operations) is near 0% in the next 5 years and <10% by 2035. It requires millions of error-corrected qubits; current systems top ~1,000 noisy ones. Bitcoin’s hashing remains secure for now."
Historical comparisons reveal that community responses to past warnings, such as Google’s 2019 “quantum supremacy,” spurred discussions but led to no critical Bitcoin shifts. Experts recommend continuous evaluation and research into quantum-resistant cryptography.
