Is Quantum About to Break Bitcoin?

Two years ago, quantum computing was a "someday problem." Now NVIDIA is lobbying Congress. Ethereum is funding post-quantum research. Coinbase has launched a Quantum Advisory Board. So the question isn't theoretical anymore. What happens to Bitcoin when quantum computers become powerful enough to crack today's cryptography? In Episode 803, we sit down with Christopher Steven Smith, CEO and co-founder of Quantus, a quantum-secure Layer 1 blockchain built using NIST-backed post-quantum cryptography. We cover: • What quantum computing actually is (without melting your brain) • How qubits differ from classical bits • Why elliptic curve cryptography may be vulnerable • Whether Bitcoin can realistically fork to quantum resistance • The risk to old wallets (including Satoshi's coins) • Post-quantum signatures like Dilithium • Reversible transactions and whether they break crypto ethos • Whether the "digital gold" narrative was a strategic mistake Is quantum an overhyped sci-fi scare tactic? Or is it the next existential threat nobody is pricing in? This is a sponsored episode. As always, we disclose that upfront. We took the interview because the topic is real, timely, and worth exploring. Welcome to the future of cryptography. Or the end of it. Support the show:

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Is Quantum About to Break Bitcoin? is an episode from The Bad Crypto Podcast by Joel Comm & Travis Wright.

This episode is 40:18 long.

This episode was published on Feb 16, 2026.

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