How quantum computing could wreak havoc on cryptocurrency

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Published at The Next Web on April 14, 2018 by Raz Rafaeli

Quantum computing is promising to be one of the biggest technological revolutions of the modern era.

By harnessing the power of quantum mechanics, machines will be able to achieve data processing of speed and complexity unattainable with current computers. Traditional computers are based on a binary model on a system of switches that can be either on or off, represented with a 1 or a 0.

Quantum computers are different in that their switches can be in both the on and off positions at the same time, called ‘superpositions.’ This ability to be in two simultaneous states is what makes quantum computers faster. Much faster.

Google announced over two years ago that the quantum prototype they possess was 100 million times faster than any other computer in their lab. To put it another way — in the 1990’s IBM built a supercomputer named Deep Blue that defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov. Deep Blue had an edge over Kasporov because of its ability to calculate 200 million possible chess moves a second. A quantum machine would bring that number to 1 trillion moves per second.

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