China’s alleged encryption breakthrough has been challenged by popular YouTuber Mental Outlaw, who cited quantum challenges as the reason for doubt. The breakthrough, claimed by researchers at Shanghai University, involved cracking RSA encryption algorithms used in banking, military, and cryptocurrency sectors. However, Mental Outlaw pointed out that classical computers have already surpassed this level by breaking an 892-bit key, while the quantum computer in China only managed to break a 22-bit key. This is a much smaller feat compared to the current encryption standards, which range between 2048 and 4096 bits. Mental Outlaw highlighted the limitations of quantum computing, including the lack of power to break large keys and the difficulty in scaling the computers to enhance processing power. Additionally, the physical environment required for quantum computing, which must be kept at near-absolute zero temperatures, poses a challenge. Despite these limitations, Mental Outlaw acknowledged that advancements in quantum computing could pose a threat to modern encryption in the future. Major tech companies are already working on quantum-resistant encryption, with HSBC, IBM, Microsoft, and Apple actively developing solutions. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin proposed a solution to address the threat of quantum computing by suggesting the implementation of a hard fork and requiring users to download new wallet software. In 2017, researchers warned that Bitcoin’s elliptic curve signature scheme could be broken by a quantum computer as early as 2027. However, to break cryptocurrency security, quantum computers would likely need thousands or millions of qubits, while the most advanced machines currently have around 1000.
