--- title: "Quantum model reduces hardware needed to break bitcoin keys by 17 times" description: "CoinDesk reports that a new quantum model by Alice & Bob slashes the hardware required to break bitcoin keys by 17 times, bringing a potential attack closer…" language: en canonical: "https://whycoinmoves.com/en/events/bitcoin-new-quantum-model-slashes-hardware-96ec58ca3406d7" published: 2026-10-29T13:56:57.000Z updated: 2026-10-29T14:58:13.000Z indexable: true --- # Quantum model reduces hardware needed to break bitcoin keys by 17 times CoinDesk reports that a new quantum model by Alice & Bob slashes the hardware required to break bitcoin keys by 17 times, bringing a potential attack closer… Attributed sources: [CoinDesk]() ## Key facts CoinDesk reports that a new quantum model by Alice & Bob slashes the hardware required to break bitcoin keys by 17 times, bringing a potential attack closer to reality and increasing pressure to adopt quantum-resistant security sooner. Evidence strength: Single source, 1 publisher group(s) (CoinDesk). After site detection, observed returns were 5 minutes: +0.16% (Oct 29, 2026, 13:56 → Oct 29, 2026, 14:01, UTC; Gate · USDT); 1 hour: +1.10% (Oct 29, 2026, 13:56 → Oct 29, 2026, 14:58, UTC; Gate · USDT) In the preceding 30 days, the 99th percentile of absolute hourly returns was 1.23% (OKX · USDT; cutoff Oct 29, 2026, 13:56, UTC). ## Returns after site detection | Window | Return | BTC | Difference from BTC | Actual sampled interval (UTC) | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 5 minutes | +0.16% | +0.16% | 0.00 pp | Oct 29, 2026, 13:56 → Oct 29, 2026, 14:01 | Gate · USDT | | 1 hour | +1.10% | +1.10% | 0.00 pp | Oct 29, 2026, 13:56 → Oct 29, 2026, 14:58 | Gate · USDT | ## Historical hourly baseline | Metric | Value | | --- | --- | | Coverage | 100.0% (720/720) | | Median absolute hourly return | 0.14% | | 99th percentile of absolute hourly returns | 1.23% | | BTC beta | 1.00 | | Source / cutoff (UTC) | OKX · USDT / Oct 29, 2026, 13:56 | ## Claims and open questions - CoinDesk reports that Alice & Bob's new model reduces the hardware needed for a potential attack on bitcoin keys by 17 times. - According to CoinDesk, the model brings a potential attack closer to reality and increases pressure to adopt quantum-resistant security sooner. - What specific assumptions or parameters does Alice & Bob's model use to calculate the 17-times hardware reduction, and what would confirm its accuracy? - How many qubits or what hardware scale would be required to actually break bitcoin keys under this new model, and what would confirm that estimate? ## Source evidence - [New quantum model slashes hardware needed to break bitcoin keys by 17 times]() — CoinDesk; published Oct 29, 2026, 13:55; received Oct 29, 2026, 13:56 (UTC). ## Recent BTC events and market reactions - [Bank of Russia approves NAUFOR as first self-regulatory body for crypto exchanges]() — Published Oct 29, 2026, 15:03 (UTC) · Single source (1 publisher) · General news · 5m +0.14% / 1h +0.70% - [Swiss spot bitcoin ETF gains international access on SIX]() — Published Oct 29, 2026, 14:15 (UTC) · Single source (1 publisher) · General news · 5m -0.06% / 1h +1.27% - [HTX agrees to leave UK in settlement with FCA over crypto marketing]() — Published Oct 29, 2026, 13:49 (UTC) · Single source (1 publisher) · Regulation · 5m +0.04% / 1h +1.00% - [Bitcoin Magazine explains methods for calculating Bitcoin per share]() — Published Oct 29, 2026, 13:36 (UTC) · Single source (1 publisher) · General news · 5m -0.06% / 1h +1.56% - [Tether's USDT to launch on Bitcoin with privacy and Lightning payments]() — Published Oct 29, 2026, 13:30 (UTC) · Single source (1 publisher) · General news · 5m -0.05% / 1h +1.46% - [Full coin archive]() ## Research for this archive - [Altcoin beta to Bitcoin: BTC, ETH, SOL and DOGE hourly returns]() - [Will Bitcoin go back up? Every crash since 2011 and its recovery time]() - [Perpetual funding rates and annualized yield: a 2025 comparison]() - [Bitcoin halving and bull markets: evidence from four halvings]() Evidence levels describe source coverage, not the probability that a report is true. Price moves and their timing cannot establish a cause; minute samples show an observed interval and alert thresholds are heuristics. Explanations are model-assisted, with citations and figures checked. Source titles stay in their original language; full articles are not republished. [Methods and limitations]()