As quantum computing researchers celebrate one breakthrough after another, Web3's $4 trillion asset base faces a ticking time bomb. Last December, Google announced that its quantum Willow chip performed calculations in less than five minutes that would take a state-of-the-art supercomputer 10 minutes. death years (about 100 trillion times longer than our universe is old). Drug discovery, materials science, financial modeling, and optimization problems of all kinds will enter a golden age thanks to quantum. However, most modern cryptography relies on mathematical puzzles that are functionally impossible for classical computers to solve and can be instantly cracked by quantum.
With Web3, attackers are already collecting encrypted blockchain data that can be decrypted later when quantum becomes widespread. An investment in cryptography is essentially an investment in the integrity of the cryptography, which quantum computing directly threatens.
Fortunately, researchers have demonstrated that specialized zero-knowledge (ZK) cryptography can help make the industry's most valuable blockchain quantum-proof, keeping Web3 safe from harm while ensuring it reaps the benefits of quantum, from new antibiotics to hyper-optimized supply chains.
quantum advantage
On October 22, Google published verifiable results in Nature demonstrating that its quantum chips “can help us learn the structure of natural systems, from molecules to magnets to black holes, and run 13,000 times faster than the best classical algorithms on one of the world's fastest supercomputers.” What is surprising about these results is that they are not based on artificial benchmarks, as in the previous example, but on applied problems with direct scientific benefits.
Despite its obvious benefits to human knowledge, quantum poses an undeniable threat to cryptography in general and the nearly $4 trillion digital asset base in particular. The Human Rights Foundation released a report showing that more than 6 million BTC is in early “quantum vulnerable” account types, including Satoshi's 1.1 million dormant BTC. These will likely be victims of the first “Q-day” (the day when quantum becomes powerful enough to break public-key cryptography).
Both Ethereum and Bitcoin rely on the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA), which is notoriously vulnerable to “Scholl’s algorithm.” This is a quantum algorithm designed in the 1990s to quickly compute the prime factors of large integers, a problem that was completely difficult for classical computers to solve. In theory, it's even possible that quantum has already defeated Bitcoin. We just don't realize it yet.
Nevertheless, many researchers deny this threat. Jameson Ropp, a well-known cypherpunk, posted on X that “fear and uncertainty about quantum computing may be a bigger threat than quantum computing itself.” In other words, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. But no matter who you ask, the quantum threat is not zero. Vitalik Buterin predicts a 20% chance of quantum destruction of Ethereum by 2030. That means we need to be prepared.
Timeline is very important. Harvesting now and decrypting later makes the timeline much faster. Potential attackers (including nation states and hacker groups) are accumulating encrypted blockchain data, from wallet backups to data-at-rest exchanges, to be able to decrypt it when quantum matures. Every transaction broadcast to the network, every public key exposed, becomes fodder for future attacks. The window for implementing quantum-resistant cryptography is narrowing with each passing quarter.
Please enter zero knowledge
The beauty of zero-knowledge (ZK) cryptography lies in its elegance and simplicity. The prover can convince the verifier that something is true without revealing any information other than the validity itself. As ZK technology has matured, calibration times have decreased from hours to seconds and calibration sizes have shrunk from megabytes to kilobytes. In particular, the computational cost of AI remains high, limiting its usefulness to high-risk environments such as Web3, traditional banking, and defense.
Zero knowledge and quantum
At first glance, it may not be obvious how zero-knowledge technology can protect blockchain from quantum attacks. Zero-knowledge proofs are privacy tools, a way to prove that something is true without revealing the underlying information. But the same privacy protection technology can also be built on top of quantum-resistant mathematics, turning ZK into a pervasive shield for blockchain. Hash-based proofs (using zk-STARK) and lattice-based proofs are built on problems that even powerful quantum machines struggle with, and do not rely on quantum-fragile elliptic curves.
However, quantum-resistant ZK proofs are larger and heavier than today's versions. This makes it difficult to store on blockchains, which have strict space constraints, and increases verification costs. However, the benefits are significant, providing a means to protect billions of on-chain assets. without it An immediate and dangerous overhaul of basic protocols is required.
In other words, ZK provides a flexible upgrade path for blockchain. Rather than tearing down the entire signature system overnight, networks can gradually add quantum-secure ZK proofs to transactions, allowing old and new cryptography to coexist during a transition period.
Quantum Benefits for Web3
Today's computers can only fake randomness. They use mathematical formulas to generate “random numbers,” but those numbers are ultimately generated by a predictable process. This means that parts of the blockchain system, such as choosing the validator to propose the next block or determining the winner of a decentralized lottery, can be subtly influenced by the economic interests of bad actors. But earlier this year, quantum researchers achieved a remarkable milestone: proving randomness.
Quantum systems exploit unpredictable natural phenomena such as the spin of photons and the decay of particles. This is real, unforgeable randomness, something that classical computers cannot provide.
For blockchain, this is a big problem. The Web3 ecosystem requires public, quantum-powered randomness beacons to seed the core mechanisms that make the blockchain work. Quantum allows us to build quantum that is fair, immutable, and impossible to manipulate. A solution that addresses long-standing flaws in decentralized lotteries and validator selection.
I have a question here. Will Web3 get serious about quantum-proof cryptography before quantum computers mature?History shows that base layer upgrades to large-scale blockchain protocols can take years, and one reason for this is the lack of central coordination inherent in decentralized systems. But the industry cannot afford to wait for quantum to break ECDSA before taking action.
Although the exact timeline is debatable, the quantum future is certainly within reach. Through this transition, ZK can protect Web3 and turn quantum threats into quantum opportunities.
Now is the time to act while you still can.
