Google Quantum Breakthrough: RSA Encryption Cracking Requires Far Fewer Qubits

Google’s quantum research has made a groundbreaking discovery: breaking 2048-bit RSA encryption may now be achievable with significantly fewer qubits. A new study reveals that a 2048-bit key can be cracked in under a week using less than one million noisy qubits, a dramatic reduction from the previous estimate of 20 million qubits. This discovery is attributed to advancements in quantum algorithms and techniques like magic state cultivation. The research suggests an accelerated timeline for quantum attacks on cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and traditional banking systems.