 
 
Elon Musk has recently taken to X (formerly Twitter) to ask its native Grok AI regarding the challenges posed by the emerging quantum computing technology towards Bitcoin mining. The LLM program provided some fascinating answers that caught the attention of crypto users, sparking a vigorous online debate.
Quantum computing is often cited as a major threat to Bitcoin’s SHA-256 mining algorithm, the very foundation of the blockchain revolution. If its fundamentals are compromised at one point, it will irreversibly hurt the crypto sector.
Musk was responding to an X post by IBM in which it showcased the company’s latest developments in the futuristic technology. The official handle tweeted:
“We’re building more than quantum computers. We’re building a system that uses quantum to solve real-world problems that were once considered impossible.
Last month, IBM laid out a transparent roadmap detailing how we’ll achieve quantum advantage. Let’s take a closer look.”
 
A generic futuristic image of computing followed the post. While the post itself didn’t mention particular concerns for other industries, Musk, a known crypto enthusiast and investor, immediately entered the conversation and asked Grok AI regarding the possibility of quantum computing compromising the SHA-256 mining approach.
Grok AI Responds to Musk’s Inquiry
Grok replied:
“Based on 2025 assessments from NIST, IBM, and expert surveys, the probability of quantum computing cracking SHA-256 (via Grover’s algorithm, reducing preimage search to ~2^128 operations) is near 0% in the next 5 years and <10% by 2035. It requires millions of error-corrected qubits; current systems top ~1,000 noisy ones. Bitcoin’s hashing remains secure for now.”
So, the AI agent has confirmed earlier estimations that the current iteration of quantum computing isn’t ready to take down the conventional might of the BTC network and its SHA-256 mining algorithm.
What is Quantum Computing?
Quantum computing is a mythical concept that is coming close to reality. It utilizes tiny subatomic particles like electrons or photons for computing purposes, employing cutting-edge particle Physics tech like quantum mechanics and quantum entanglement. They are much more potent than regular computers, which use bits (0s and 1s) to process information and can potentially replace computing as we know it.
This makes quantum computers incredibly powerful for specific problems, such as cracking codes, designing new medicines, or solving complex math puzzles that would take regular computers forever. But, don’t expect them to power your laptops any time soon, as it is still a nascent field with limited, super-specific applications. Quantum computing poses a significant long-term risk to Bitcoin and the blockchain economy, as rendering the binary system obsolete would also invalidate the encryption technology built on top of it.
However, as experts and now AI LLMs like Grok are pointing out, the future of quantum computing is still hazy, and we don’t understand how it will change our world.
Source: https://zycrypto.com/can-the-bitcoin-network-be-hacked-using-quantum-computers-elon-musk-asks-grok-ai/