Researcher Breaks 15-Bit ECC Key on Quantum Hardware, Signals Potential Bitcoin RiskIndependent researcher Giancarlo Lelli broke a 15-bit ECC key using public quantum hardware, winning a 1 BTC bounty and marking the largest public quantum attack demonstration to date. Estimates suggest breaking 256-bit ECC may require about 500,000 qubits, with around 6.9 million bitcoins potentially exposed, highlighting the need for post-quantum upgrades.https://t.co/yhM4WNcgh9 ...

Google Quantum AI released a whitepaper warning that cracking 256-bit ECC, widely used in crypto wallets, requires fewer resources than expected. With under 500k physical qubits, it could be cracked in minutes. Google urged the industry to accelerate its migration to Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC).Dragonfly Managing Partner Haseeb noted this research improves ECDSA cracking efficiency by ~20x, pushing the expected PQC migration timeline forward to around 2029. He highlighted Google's high caution, as they ...