Share this article
Google Claims Quantum Breakthrough to Reignite Bitcoin Ramifications Debate
Google said it achieved a "quantum advantage," with its Willow chip completing a calculation that would take classical supercomputers thousands of times longer.
Updated Oct 23, 2025, 3:39 p.m. Published Oct 22, 2025, 4:40 p.m.
Make us preferred on Google
What to know:
- Google said it had achieved a verifiable "quantum advantage" with its Willow chip completing a calculation that would take classical supercomputers thousands of times longer.
- The reported breakthrough may reignite a debate in the cryptocurrency community over the possible detrimental effects that quantum computing could have on Bitcoin.
- While quantum computing could one day challenge Bitcoin’s cryptographic foundations, most experts say that reality remains far off.
Google said it had achieved a verifiable "quantum advantage" with its Willow chip completing a calculation that would take classical supercomputers thousands of times longer.
The reported breakthrough may reignite a debate in the cryptocurrency community over the possible detrimental effects that quantum computing could have on Bitcoin, whose operation and security is built on cryptographic methods which quantum computing could potentially challenge.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
The chip reportedly simulated quantum chaos in just two hours by measuring Out-of-Time-Order Correlators (OTOCs), a key benchmark for tracking the unpredictable behavior of particles.
Researchers say the achievement moves quantum computing closer to practical applications, such as Hamiltonian learning, where quantum machines could help model complex molecular structures beyond the reach of today’s tools.
For the crypto world, the breakthrough is noteworthy but not alarming. While quantum computing could one day challenge Bitcoin’s cryptographic foundations, most experts say that reality remains far off.
"There’s no evidence today that any computer, even a classified one, can break modern cryptography," Kostas Kryptos Chalkias, co-founder and chief cryptographer of Mysten Labs, told CoinDesk in a recent interview. “We’re at least 10 years away from that.”
Google parent company Alphabet's (GOOG) shares enjoyed a 1.5% bump following the publication of its research, before pulling back to its prior level. At the time of writing, GOOG sits just above $253, 0.7% higher on the day.
Bitcoin experienced a minor boost concurrently with GOOG's, climbing 0.7% to just under $109,000 falling back. BTC is 4% lower in the last 24 hours at about $108,150 at the time of writing, according to CoinDesk data.
AI Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy.
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Solana’s new phase is ‘much more about finance,’ says Backpack CEO Armani Ferrante
The Solana ecosystem has spent the past year doubling down on a financial infrastructure, Backpack CEO Armani Ferrante told CoinDesk.
What to know:
- Solana’s latest phase looks a lot less flashy than its memecoin-fueled highs, and that may be the goal.
- Armani Ferrante, CEO of crypto exchange Backpack, told CoinDesk in an interview the Solana ecosystem has spent the past year doubling down on a more sober focus: financial infrastructure. A
- fter years of experimentation as the wider crypto industry focused on NFTs, games and social tokens, attention is now shifting back toward decentralized finance, trading and payments.
Top Stories
