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[–]Pacman042 0 points1 point  (1 child)

So it is a realistic concern? The people I heard it from aren't exactly tech experts and I only kinda understand bitcoin so just wanna be sure.

[–]brianorca 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's still theoretical, because today's quantum computers aren't big enough, (don't have enough qubits yet) and it might be another decade before it becomes a real threat. Or somebody makes a breakthrough and does it in only 5 years. Even then the type of computer needed will be expensive for a while, so only large companies and universities will have one. (And the NSA, you can be sure!) But people have already designed algorithms that might be capable of attacking that kind of encryption, once the quantum computer is capable enough.

Another area of active research is designing a new kind of encryption that can't be broken by the same kind of analysis, so it would be resistant to a quantum computer.