Google announced Wednesday that it is transitioning its entire infrastructure to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) by 2029, amid a “rise in risk from Quantum computers to cryptographic standards”.
The announcement, which was published in a blog post, says that Google is moving to upgrade its security systems urgently, saying quantum frontiers “may be closer than they appear.”
The announcement from Google is seen as an admission that quantum computing is improving much faster than expected.
Researchers are making steady progress in building stronger quantum machines, reducing technical errors, and figuring out exactly how much power is needed to break today’s encryption.
In other words, the kind of computers that could one day crack current security systems are no longer just a distant idea, they’re slowly becoming more realistic.
That’s why Google is setting a clear deadline. The goal is simple: upgrade security early rather than wait until the risk becomes urgent.
Is Bitcoin at risk?
Bitcoin uses a security system called Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA), an encryption method that ties together public and private keys in such a way as to secure the money of users.
The system is an incredibly secure structure in ideal situations. Even the fastest computers in the world would need centuries to crack an individual’s private key using their public key.
But as quantum computing is developing, this long-held belief is now facing challenges.
Researchers warn that future machines running Shor’s algorithm could potentially solve the mathematical problems behind today’s encryption far more quickly.
As such, this means that if there is a powerful enough quantum computer that can derive a private key given an address, it effectively gives it access to those funds.
The amount of potential exposure is an ever-growing concern in the crypto space as well as in the wider cybersecurity industry.
Current estimates by various security firms indicate that there is in excess of 6.8 million Bitcoins, valued in hundreds of billions of dollars, stored in vulnerable address formats.
Many of these coins date back to Bitcoin’s early years, when address structures were less optimized for future cryptographic threats.
Separate research from investment and custody firms indicates that roughly 35 percent of the total Bitcoin supply may sit in address types that could eventually require upgrades to remain secure.
While these are obviously not live risks but rather a measure of potential future risk, they demonstrate just how much value rests on top of these encryption systems that were developed well prior to quantum computing becoming a viable technological prospect.
For the time being, experts are quick to remind people that the threat is still several years out, as the technology isn’t advanced enough to threaten Bitcoin’s cryptographic system.
The conversation, however, is no longer speculative but rather preparatory as developers work on viable quantum-resistant solutions.
Is the risk arriving sooner than expected?
The 2029 deadline isn’t just a guess, it lines up with similar timelines from major tech companies like IBM, which is also aiming to build reliable, large-scale quantum computers by around the same time.
What really changed things was the progress made in 2025. Scientists achieved major breakthroughs in reducing errors in quantum machines, building new types of processors, and even controlling thousands of quantum bits, known as qubits, in a single experiment at the California Institute of Technology.
Because of these advances, experts are no longer debating whether powerful quantum computers will arrive. The focus has shifted to when they will become practical.
In simple terms, Google isn’t warning that quantum computers will break encryption by 2029. It’s just saying it wants to be fully prepared ahead of time, rather than scramble later if the technology advances faster than expected.
Is Bitcoin’s future safe?
While other industries prepare for future risks, Bitcoin developers are not sitting idle either. They’ve started laying the groundwork for future protection.
A proposal called BIP 360 has recently been added to Bitcoin’s official improvement list. It adds a new type of address called Pay-to-Merkle-Root that is meant to be safe from possible quantum attacks.
Nothing changes immediately, but this move effectively starts the clock on a long-term plan to upgrade Bitcoin’s security if and when quantum risks become more real.