Wire · technology
Researchers cut quantum resource benchmark 20-fold for Bitcoin and Ethereum attack
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Fusion42 · 10 September 2026 · Fusion42 review
Researchers from Google Quantum AI, Ethereum Foundation, and Stanford have significantly reduced the quantum computing resources needed to break Bitcoin and Ethereum cryptography, showing fewer than 500,000 physical qubits could compromise wallets instead of previous 9 million estimates, exposing millions in digital assets to potential quantum attacks.
This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Cybersecurity, Crypto & Web3 and Quantum Computing, and 3 sources have reported it between 10 Sep 2026 and 11 Sep 2026.
◆ ◆ The Wire takeaway
Your blockchain security assumptions must shift fast because quantum attacks are now more feasible than before, with hardware needs sharply reduced. Prepare to update your cryptography or risk losing access to or control of crypto assets stored in older or reused addresses.
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3 sources · first reported 10 Sep 2026 · latest 11 Sep 2026
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