Google Unveils Willow Quantum Processor: Does It Threaten Bitcoin?
Date: 2024-12-10 Author: Gabriel Deangelo Categories: BUSINESS
Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced Willow as the company’s first quantum processor, opening a new chapter in the development of quantum computers for practical purposes.
“We’re introducing Willow, our latest quantum processor, which dramatically reduces errors as we scale up the number of qubits, solving a problem that has plagued us for the past 30 years,” Pichai wrote in a December 10 X post.
Willow has shown impressive results in tests: it was able to complete a standard task in less than 5 minutes, while a classical supercomputer would need about 102510^{25}1025 years to do the same, which is equivalent to 10,000 quadrillion centuries.
This advanced quantum processor has the ability to progressively reduce errors, and is also distinguished by high speed, universal reconfiguration, and algorithms with a high degree of connectivity.
Julian Kelly, director of hardware at Google Quantum AI, noted that any qubits with an abnormally high error rate can be corrected by “reconfiguring them in a chain,” which will allow for new calibration strategies.
However, this also raises the question: does this development threaten cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin? After all, quantum computing can potentially cope with problems that traditional algorithms would take centuries to solve, which calls into question the reliability of modern cryptographic methods on which blockchain technologies are based.
There is no clear answer yet, but one thing is clear: quantum computers like Willow could be a major game changer in the world of technology, and cryptocurrencies will likely not be left out of these changes.
