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Is Quantum About to Break Bitcoin? episode artwork

Feb 16, 2026 40 min

Is Quantum About to Break Bitcoin?

from The Bad Crypto Podcast Hosted by Joel Comm and Travis Wright

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: https://badcryptopodcast.com

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This episode was published on February 16, 2026.

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