Quantum computing just teased the future of crypto—and the industry is watching closely. IBM’s 133-qubit quantum computer recently broke a toy 6-bit elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) key, a tiny version of what secures Bitcoin and Ethereum wallets. While no real crypto assets were at risk, the demonstration sent ripples through both Wall Street and blockchain communities.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin warns of a 20% chance that quantum computers could threaten ECC-based crypto by 2030. This has sparked the “harvest now, decrypt later” scenario, where encrypted data is stored today to be cracked once quantum power grows. Countries like El Salvador are already restructuring their treasuries to reduce exposure to quantum threats.

Skeptics say Bitcoin’s math is still unbreakable with current tech, but the demo proves that quantum computing is no longer just theoretical—it’s practical and accelerating. Banks and blockchain innovators are now racing to build quantum-safe systems, signaling that a post-quantum financial era is closer than we think.