Stephan Livera Podcast The Quantum Threat to Bitcoin explained with Clara Shikhelman and Anthony Milton | SLP670
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Jun 27, 2025 In this engaging discussion, Clara Shikhelman, Head of Research at Chaincode Labs, and Anthony Milton, an open-source Bitcoin developer, dive into the impending challenges quantum computing poses to Bitcoin. They explain how quantum technology could potentially undermine Bitcoin's private keys and explore strategies for resilience, such as the necessity of moving to quantum-resistant algorithms. The conversation touches on the importance of community awareness and proactive measures, urging listeners to rethink existing security practices in light of these emerging threats.
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Quantum Computing Becomes Real Threat
- Quantum computing is moving from theoretical to practical threat capable of breaking Bitcoin cryptography.
- Skeptics now acknowledge the possibility and researchers urge preparation rather than panic.
Bitcoin Security Depends on Hard Problems
- Bitcoin's security relies on the difficulty of deriving private keys from public keys used in signature schemes.
- Quantum computing threatens this assumption by potentially making private key recovery feasible from public keys.
Significant Bitcoin Quantum Vulnerability
- About one-third of all Bitcoin supply is vulnerable due to exposed public keys or legacy script types.
- Address reuse is the largest contributor to vulnerability, affecting about 4.5 million BTC currently.