Latest news with #JayGambetta
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Is Crypto Ready for Q-Day?
Are you ready for Q-Day? Do you even know what Q-Day is? If you don't, you're sleepwalking into a digital apocalypse that's not coming—it's already here. Q-Day isn't some distant theoretical event. It's the moment quantum computing shatters every lock, breaks every code, and renders every secret naked. While your most powerful supercomputer would need billions of years to crack modern encryption that currently secures crypto wallets, blockchains, digital banking assets, and WhatsApp chats, a quantum computer could do it over lunch. Every "secure" transaction, every "private" communication, every "protected" system becomes an open book. As Jay Gambetta, Vice President of IBM Quantum, warns: "The quantum threat isn't coming—it's here. Nation-states are harvesting encrypted data TODAY, betting they'll decrypt it tomorrow. If you're not quantum-safe now, you're already compromised." Let me be brutally clear: whether Q-Day arrives in one year, two years, or five years is completely irrelevant. Why? Because of "Harvest Now, Decrypt Later" attacks. Right now, as you read this, malicious nation states and criminal actors are vacuuming up encrypted data including medical records, financial transactions, state secrets, and your personal communications. They can't read it today, but they're betting on quantum to unlock it tomorrow. Computer scientist Deborah Frincke from Sandia National Laboratories doesn't mince words: "Pretty much anything that says a person is who they say they are is underpinned by encryption. Some of the most sensitive and valuable infrastructure that we have would be open to somebody coming in and pretending to be the rightful owner and issuing commands to shut down networks, influence the energy grid, or create financial disruption." In May 2025, BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager with $11.6 trillion under management, did something unprecedented. They added quantum computing as a critical risk warning to their Bitcoin ETF filing, warning that quantum advances could "undermine the viability" of cryptographic algorithms used not just in Bitcoin but across the entire global tech stack. Researchers warn that 4 million bitcoin—roughly 25% of all usable BTC—could be stolen once quantum computers advance enough to break their encryption. Leading quantum expert. It's not just Bitcoin. Ethereum and most blockchains today rely on Elliptic Curve Cryptography, and quantum will shatter that. Experts predict that Q-Day will come within the next five-to-seven years, but it could be sooner. Quantum is coming for bitcoin like meteors came for the dinosaurs. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has already proposed emergency hard-fork solutions for when quantum computers crack Ethereum accounts. The Ethereum blockchain would need to be paused for an unknown time until it's restored to a new quantum-resistant blockchain, a process that could take years. Behind closed doors at private crypto conferences, influential cryptographers and business leaders are concerned about a potential catastrophe where a computer strong enough to reverse engineer wallets' private keys could flood exchanges with ancient Bitcoin, sending prices spiraling. This isn't about losing your Netflix password. This is about the complete collapse of digital trust across Bitcoin wallets, Ethereum smart contracts, DeFi protocols, banking systems, power grids, military communications, healthcare records, and government secrets. By leveraging its computational power, a quantum miner could consistently solve the mathematical puzzles required to add new blocks to the blockchain, transforming mining from a decentralized global industry into an oligopoly controlled by quantum-capable entities. Some optimists say we have until 2030 before quantum computers can break encryption. They're missing the point entirely. The damage is being done today. Every piece of data transmitted now is a future casualty. According to a December 2023 Reuters report, Tilo Kunz of cybersecurity firm Quantum Defen5e told Defense Information Systems Agency officials that Q-day could come as soon as 2025. Google Quantum AI has already lowered the barrier to breaking widely used RSA-2048 encryption to fewer than one million qubits, dramatically reducing the resources needed for crypto-breaking quantum attacks. Forget patches, updates, or hoping someone else will solve this. Quantum resistance must be built into the foundation, not bolted on as an afterthought. We need post-quantum cryptography that can withstand both classical and quantum attacks, quantum-resistant digital signatures using hash-based and lattice-based cryptography, complete blockchain infrastructure overhauls, immediate migration from vulnerable crypto addresses, and action now, not committees discussing action later. QRL's Iain Wood warns: "It is now no longer controversial to say that all blockchains that exist by 2035 will have to be post-quantum secure." Researchers at the University of Kent say that upgrading to post-quantum crypto-systems could take 75 days of downtime for Bitcoin, or over 300 days if the network operated at 75% capacity. Think about what that means for a trillion-dollar asset class. Q-Day isn't a future problem—it's a present crisis. While everyone's chasing AI dreams, the quantum nightmare is unfolding. The harvest is happening now. The decryption is coming. 2025 is probably our last chance to start migration to post-quantum cryptography before we are all undone by cryptographically relevant quantum computers. Stop asking when Q-Day will arrive. It's here. The only question is: will you be ready, or will you be roadkill on the quantum highway? In the quantum age, there are only two types of data: quantum-safe and future-compromised. For crypto holders, there are only two types of digital assets: post-quantum secured and future-worthless. Your Bitcoin, your Ethereum, your entire crypto portfolio hangs in the balance. The quantum clock is ticking, and every second you wait is another step toward total cryptographic annihilation. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
IBM plans to build first-of-its-kind quantum computer by 2029 after 'solving key bottleneck'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. IBM scientists say they have solved the biggest bottleneck in quantum computing and plan to launch the world's first large-scale, fault-tolerant machine by 2029. The new research demonstrates new error-correction techniques that the scientists say will lead to a system 20,000 times more powerful than any quantum computer in existence today. In two new studies uploaded June 2 and June 3 to the preprint arXiv server, the researchers revealed new error mitigation and correction techniques that sufficiently handle these errors and allow for the scaling of hardware nine times more efficiently than previously possible. The new system, called "Starling," will use 200 logical qubits — made up of roughly 10,000 physical qubits. This will be followed by a machine called "Blue Jay," which will use 2,000 logical qubits, in 2033. The new research, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, describes IBM's quantum low-density parity check (LDPC) codes — a novel fault-tolerance paradigm that researchers say will allow quantum computer hardware to scale beyond previous limitations. "The science has been solved" for expanded fault-tolerant quantum computing, Jay Gambetta, IBM vice president of quantum operations, told Live Science. This means that scaling up quantum computers is now just an engineering challenge, rather than a scientific hurdle, Gambetta added. Related: Google's 'Willow' quantum chip has solved a problem that would have taken the best supercomputer a quadrillion times the age of the universe to crack While quantum computers exist today, they're only capable of outpacing classical computer systems (those using binary calculations) on bespoke problems that are designed only to test their potential. One of the largest hurdles to quantum supremacy, or quantum advantage, has been in scaling up quantum processing units (QPUs). As scientists add more qubits to processors, the errors in calculations performed by QPUs add up. This is because qubits are inherently "noisy" and errors occur more frequently than in classical bits. For this reason, research in the field has largely centered on quantum error-correction (QEC). Error correction is a foundational challenge for all computing systems. In classical computers, binary bits can accidentally flip from a one to a zero and vice versa. These errors can compound and render calculations incomplete or cause them to fail entirely. The qubits used to conduct quantum calculations are far more susceptible to errors than their classical counterparts due to the added complexity of quantum mechanics. Unlike binary bits, qubits carry extra "phase information." While this enables them to perform computations using quantum information, it also makes the task of error correction much more difficult. Until now, scientists were unsure exactly how to scale quantum computers from the few hundred qubits used by today's models to the hundreds of millions they theoretically need to make them generally useful. But the development of LDPC and its successful application across existing systems is the catalyst for change, Gambetta said. LDPC codes use a set of checks to detect and correct errors. This results in individual qubits being involved in fewer checks and each check involving fewer qubits than previous paradigms. The key advantage of this approach is a significantly improved "encoding rate," which is the ratio of logical qubits to the physical qubits needed to protect them. By using LDPC codes, IBM aims to dramatically reduce the number of physical qubits required to scale up systems. The new method is about 90% faster at conducting error-mitigation than all previous techniques, based on IBM research. IBM will incorporate this technology into its Loon QPU architecture, which is the successor to the Heron architecture used by its current quantum computers. Starling is expected to be capable of 100 million quantum operations using 200 logical qubits. IBM representatives said this was roughly equivalent to 10,000 physical qubits. Blue Jay will theoretically be capable of 1 billion quantum operations using its 2,000 logical qubits. RELATED STORIES — IBM's newest 156-qubit quantum chip can run 50 times faster than its predecessor — equipping it for scientific research — Scientists just built a massive 1,000-qubit quantum chip, but why are they more excited about one 10 times smaller? — Error-corrected qubits 800 times more reliable after breakthrough, paving the way for 'next level' of quantum computing Current models have about 5,000 gates (analogous to 5,000 quantum operations) using 156 logical qubits. The leap from 5,000 operations to 100 million will only be possible through technologies like LDPC, IBM representatives said in a statement. Other technologies, including those used by companies like Google, will not scale to the larger sizes needed to reach fault tolerance, they added. To take full advantage of Starling in 2029 and Blue Jay in 2033, IBM needs algorithms and programs built for quantum computers, Gambetta said. To help researchers prepare for future systems, IBM recently launched Qiskit 2.0, an open-source development kit for running quantum circuits using IBM's hardware. "The goal is to move from error mitigation to error correction," Blake Johnson, IBM's quantum engine lead, told Live Science, adding that "quantum computing has grown from a field where researchers are exploring a playground of quantum hardware to a place where we have these utility-scale quantum computing tools available."
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Japan unveils world's most advanced quantum–classical hybrid computing system
Japan now hosts the world's most advanced quantum–classical hybrid setup, pairing IBM's cutting-edge quantum system with one of Earth's fastest supercomputers. On Tuesday, IBM and Japan's national research lab RIKEN unveiled the first IBM Quantum System Two installed outside the U.S., integrated directly with Fugaku — the country's flagship supercomputer. This marks a major step toward 'quantum-centric supercomputing,' where quantum and classical systems work together to solve problems neither could tackle alone. The system, launched in Kobe, features IBM's 156-qubit Heron processor, dubbed as the company's best-performing quantum chip to date. It's quality and speed is 10 times better than the previous generation 127-qubit IBM Quantum Eagle. With significantly lower error rates and 10x more circuit speed than its predecessor, Heron is now capable of running circuits beyond brute-force simulation on classical machines. "The future of computing is quantum-centric and with our partners at RIKEN we are taking a big step forward to make this vision a reality," said Jay Gambetta, VP, IBM Quantum. "The new IBM Quantum System Two powered by our latest Heron processor and connected to Fugaku, will allow scientists and engineers to push the limits of what is possible." Researchers at RIKEN will use the system to advance quantum-classical hybrid algorithms, starting with challenges in chemistry and materials science. The direct link between Heron and Fugaku will enable low-latency, instruction-level coordination between the two machines — a crucial step in developing practical applications for near-term quantum hardware. "By combining Fugaku and the IBM Quantum System Two, RIKEN aims to lead Japan into a new era of high-performance computing," said Dr. Mitsuhisa Sato, Division Director of the Quantum-HPC Hybrid Platform Division, RIKEN Center for Computational Science. "Our mission is to develop and demonstrate practical quantum-HPC hybrid workflows that can be explored by both the scientific community and industry. The connection of these two systems enables us to take critical steps toward realizing this vision." The two systems are connected via a high-speed network at the instruction level, creating a testbed for quantum-centric supercomputing. This deep integration allows engineers to build parallelized workloads, develop low-latency quantum–classical communication protocols, and optimize software stacks. By letting each system handle the parts of a task it's best suited for, the setup plays to the strengths of both paradigms. The installation of IBM Quantum System Two at RIKEN builds on earlier collaborative work between IBM and RIKEN researchers aimed at achieving quantum advantage — the point where quantum systems outperform classical ones in speed, cost, or accuracy. One such effort, recently featured on the cover of Science Advances, used sample-based quantum diagonalization (SQD) to model the electronic structure of iron sulfides — a complex compound found widely in natural and organic systems. Accurately simulating such materials was once thought to require fault-tolerant quantum computers, but SQD offers a glimpse of what near-term quantum machines can already achieve when tightly integrated with powerful classical infrastructure.
Cision Canada
24-06-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
IBM and RIKEN Unveil First IBM Quantum System Two Outside of the U.S.
IBM's next-generation quantum computer, now online in Japan, is also connected to the supercomputer Fugaku to accelerate quantum computational power and accuracy KOBE, Japan, June 23, 2025 /CNW/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) and RIKEN, a national research laboratory in Japan, today unveiled the first IBM Quantum System Two ever to be deployed outside of the United States and beyond an IBM Quantum Data Center. The availability of this system also marks a milestone as the first quantum computer to be co-located with RIKEN's supercomputer Fugaku — one of the most powerful classical systems on Earth. This effort is supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), an organization under the jurisdiction of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)'s "Development of Integrated Utilization Technology for Quantum and Supercomputers" as part of the "Project for Research and Development of Enhanced Infrastructures for Post 5G Information and Communications Systems." IBM Quantum System Two at RIKEN is powered by IBM's 156-qubit IBM Quantum Heron, the company's best performing quantum processor to-date. IBM Heron's quality as measured by the two-qubit error rate, across a 100-qubit layered circuit, is 3x10 -3 (with the best two-qubit error being 1x10 -3) — which is 10 times better than the previous generation 127-qubit IBM Quantum Eagle. IBM Heron's speed, as measured by the CLOPS (circuit layer operations per second) metric is 250,000, which reflects another 10x improvement in the past year, over IBM Eagle. At a scale of 156 qubits, with these quality and speed metrics, Heron is the most performant quantum processor in the world. This latest Heron is capable of running quantum circuits that are beyond brute-force simulations on classical computers, and its connection to Fugaku will enable RIKEN teams to use quantum-centric supercomputing approaches to push forward research on advanced algorithms, such as fundamental chemistry problems. The new IBM Quantum System Two is co-located with Fugaku within the RIKEN Center for Computational Science (R-CCS), Japan's premier high-performance computing (HPC) center. The computers are linked through a high-speed network at the fundamental instruction level to form a proving ground for quantum-centric supercomputing. This low-level integration allows RIKEN and IBM engineers to develop parallelized workloads, low-latency classical-quantum communication protocols, and advanced compilation passes and libraries. Because quantum and classical systems will ultimately offer different computational strengths, this will allow each paradigm to seamlessly perform the parts of an algorithm for which it is best suited. This quantum computer expands IBM's global fleet of quantum computers, and was officially launched during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 24, 2025, in Kobe, Japan. The event featured opening remarks from RIKEN President Makoto Gonokami; Jay Gambetta, IBM Fellow and Vice President of IBM Quantum; Akio Yamaguchi, General Manager of IBM Japan; as well as local parliament members and representatives from the Kobe Prefecture and City, METI, NEDO, and MEXT. "The future of computing is quantum-centric and with our partners at RIKEN we are taking a big step forward to make this vision a reality," said Jay Gambetta, VP, IBM Quantum. "The new IBM Quantum System Two powered by our latest Heron processor and connected to Fugaku, will allow scientists and engineers to push the limits of what is possible." "By combining Fugaku and the IBM Quantum System Two, RIKEN aims to lead Japan into a new era of high-performance computing," said Dr. Mitsuhisa Sato, Division Director of the Quantum-HPC Hybrid Platform Division, RIKEN Center for Computational Science. "Our mission is to develop and demonstrate practical quantum-HPC hybrid workflows that can be explored by both the scientific community and industry. The connection of these two systems enables us to take critical steps toward realizing this vision." The installation of IBM Quantum System Two at RIKEN is poised to expand previous achievements by RIKEN and IBM researchers as they seek to discover algorithms that offer quantum advantage: the point at which a quantum computer can solve a problem faster, cheaper, or more accurately than any known classical method. This includes work recently featured on the cover of Science Advances, based on sample-based quantum diagonalization (SQD) techniques to accurately model the electronic structure of iron sulfides, a compound present widely in nature and organic systems. The ability to realistically model such a complex system is essential for many problems in chemistry, and was historically believed to require fault-tolerant quantum computers. SQD workflows are among the first demonstrations of how the near-term quantum computers of today can provide scientific value when integrated with powerful classical infrastructure. About RIKEN RIKEN is Japan's largest research institute for basic and applied research. Over 2,500 papers by RIKEN researchers are published every year in leading scientific and technology journals covering a broad spectrum of disciplines including physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, and medical science. RIKEN's research environment and strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and globalization has earned a worldwide reputation for scientific excellence. Visit for more information. About IBM IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of governments and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently, and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service. Visit for more information. Media Contacts Yohei Kawakami IBM Japan [email protected] Dave Mosher IBM Research [email protected] SOURCE IBM
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
IBM Reveals Quantum Chip, Eyes 2029 Starling Supercomputer Launch
International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) is one of the best Dow stocks to invest in. On June 10, the company revealed that it's working on a large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer named Quantum Starling as part of its broader quantum roadmap. A key component of this effort is the upcoming IBM Quantum Nighthawk processor, which is expected to launch later this year, according to a company blog post. Like several other tech giants and well-funded startups, International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) is racing to advance quantum computing. The core challenge they all face lies in qubit reliability—while qubits can perform rapid calculations, they tend to generate significant errors. Researchers often dedicate some qubits to correcting these errors, but that leaves fewer available for practical computation. International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) shifted its strategy in 2019, and now claims it has developed a new algorithm that could dramatically reduce the number of qubits required for error correction. Jay Gambetta, International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) vice president of quantum initiatives, explained that, unlike the company's earlier approach, where theory dictated chip design, the current strategy focuses on building chips that are feasible first and then designing the error-correction method around them. This more pragmatic path has given IBM the confidence to roll out a series of increasingly advanced systems through 2027, paving the way for much larger quantum machines. IBM has surged by over 25.6% since the start of 2025. While we acknowledge the potential of IBM as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: and Disclosure. None. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
