EPISODE · Oct 15, 2025 · 19 MIN
Why Bitcoin’s Biggest Threat- and Opportunity Might- Come from Quantum Physics
from The Charlie Shrem Show · host Charlie Shrem
“Quantum computing is taking the laws of nature — light, heat, entanglement — and turning them into a new kind of computer. When that happens, the way we think about Bitcoin’s security will have to change forever.” — Charlie ShremThis week on The Charlie Shrem Show, we go deep into the strangest frontier yet: the intersection of Bitcoin, cryptography, and quantum computing.Charlie sits down with Olivier Roussy Newton, OG Bitcoiner and CEO of BTQ Technologies (NASDAQ: BTQ) — a company building at the edge where photons meet blockchains. From his early exposure to D-Wave’s first quantum computers in Canada to raising capital from Chinese state funds (and getting blocked by the CIA’s venture arm), Olivier’s story tracks the entire rise of the post-quantum security industry.Together, Charlie and Olivier unpack what it really means when we say “the end of ECDSA,” why the U.S. government plans to deprecate Bitcoin’s signature standard by 2035, and how quantum systems could make traditional mining obsolete.They explore how the analog world of nature — light, gravity, superconductors — can replace brute-force hashing, how “Boson sampling” could one day stand in for SHA-256, and why the biggest breakthroughs in computing may come from mimicking God’s own architecture.Plus, Charlie shares insights from a recent dinner with Dr. Adam Back and his own stealth research into quantum-mining convergence. This episode isn’t just about crypto’s future — it’s about the future of computation itself.Topics Discussed:From Node.js startups to quantum cryptographyWhat happens when the CIA’s VC fund blocks your dealWhy the U.S. and China’s quantum race matters for BitcoinThe birth of post-quantum cryptography and NIST’s standardsHow quantum encryption could replace proof-of-workWhy consensus itself might become irrelevantHow AI’s mainstream boom paves the way for quantum adoptionThe analog vs. digital computing paradigm shift Thank you for listening to The Charlie Shrem Show. For more free content and access to over 400 episodes, visit www.CharlieShrem.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
What this episode covers
“Quantum computing is taking the laws of nature — light, heat, entanglement — and turning them into a new kind of computer. When that happens, the way we think about Bitcoin’s security will have to change forever.” — Charlie Shrem This week on The Charlie Shrem Show, we go deep into the strangest frontier yet: the intersection of Bitcoin, cryptography, and quantum computing. Charlie sits down with Olivier Roussy Newton, OG Bitcoiner and CEO of BTQ Technologies (NASDAQ: BTQ) — a company building at the edge where photons meet blockchains. From his early exposure to D-Wave’s first quantum computers in Canada to raising capital from Chinese state funds (and getting blocked by the CIA’s venture arm), Olivier’s story tracks the entire rise of the post-quantum security industry. Together, Charlie and Olivier unpack what it really means when we say “the end of ECDSA,” why the U.S. government plans to deprecate Bitcoin’s signature standard by 2035, and how quantum systems could make traditional mining obsolete. They explore how the analog world of nature — light, gravity, superconductors — can replace brute-force hashing, how “Boson sampling” could one day stand in for SHA-256, and why the biggest breakthroughs in computing may come from mimicking God’s own architecture. Plus, Charlie shares insights from a recent dinner with Dr. Adam Back and his own stealth research into quantum-mining convergence. This episode isn’t just about crypto’s future — it’s about the future of computation itself. Topics Discussed: From Node.js startups to quantum cryptography What happens when the CIA’s VC fund blocks your deal Why the U.S. and China’s quantum race matters for Bitcoin The birth of post-quantum cryptography and NIST’s standards How quantum encryption could replace proof-of-work Why consensus itself might become irrelevant How AI’s mainstream boom paves the way for quantum adoption The analog vs. digital computing paradigm shift
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Why Bitcoin’s Biggest Threat- and Opportunity Might- Come from Quantum Physics
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