Quantum warning gets louder

Google researchers released a new paper arguing the bar for quantum computers to crack bitcoin may be lower than previously thought. Their estimate puts the hardware needed to break the elliptic-curve cryptography used by bitcoin, ethereum, and other crypto networks at fewer than 500,000 physical qubits, a sharp drop from the “millions” many had assumed, and the paper says such an attack could theoretically hijack bitcoin transactions in about nine minutes. Nic Carter continues to see this as a serious warning shot and more evidence the industry should stop treating quantum risk as a distant thought experiment. Conversely, the other side is basically saying… relax, the math may be improving, but the hardware is still nowhere near attack-ready. Jeff Booth says there is “zero risk,” and Ledger’s Pascal Gauthier framed Google’s result as serious progress in theory, not an immediate danger in practice. Read more →

Zcash jumped nearly 10% over the last 24 hours after Grayscale argued in a Friday report that AI surveillance and blockchain transparency could make financial privacy a far more valuable feature than the market currently assumes. The firm’s basic bet is that if privacy shifts from niche concern to core part of digital money, ZEC could be severely underpriced. That case rests in part on rising use of Zcash’s shielded transactions, which Grayscale says now make up the majority of network activity, even as the token remains a tiny slice of the broader crypto market. Read more →

The Trump administration proposed a rule Monday allowing cryptocurrencies and private equity into 401(k) retirement plans, following an executive order from last summer. Plan trustees must rigorously evaluate fees, liquidity, and complexity before adding these assets. While industry groups see upside in diversification, critics including Senator Elizabeth Warren warn the move exposes retail investors to risky, illiquid assets at a time when valuations are strained and withdrawals from similar funds are rising. Read more →

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