Catenaa, Saturday, June 21, 2025- IBM’s unveiling of a fault-tolerant quantum computer, set for rollout by 2029, is raising new concerns over Bitcoin’s long-term security and the viability of current cryptographic systems.
The project, known as IBM Quantum Starling, is expected to operate with 200 error-corrected qubits and execute up to 100 million quantum operations. It will be hosted at IBM’s quantum data center in Poughkeepsie, New York, as part of a roadmap that aims to scale quantum systems through 2033.
Until now, quantum computers were not viewed as an imminent threat to Bitcoin due to their high error rates. IBM’s new design counters that limitation through advanced fault tolerance — including real-time error correction using Bivariate Bicycle codes and low-density parity-check systems, which significantly reduce the number of required qubits.
The development could accelerate the timeline for powerful quantum systems capable of running algorithms like Shor’s, which can break RSA encryption and, in theory, compromise Bitcoin wallets. While IBM stresses Starling’s primary application is in chemistry, materials science and artificial intelligence, its cryptographic implications are unavoidable.
Michael Saylor, executive chairman of Strategy and a prominent Bitcoin advocate, recently dismissed such threats. He said banks and centralized tech systems would face quantum disruption long before Bitcoin, calling the concern overblown.
However, experts such as NJIT’s Professor David Bader warn that scalable, fault-tolerant quantum machines may eventually challenge blockchain security unless developers shift to quantum-resistant encryption.
