Japan plans to commercially produce 64-qubit quantum computers as early as next year. Their power will theoretically allow them to break the SHA-256 encryption algorithm used in the Bitcoin network.
Fujitsu, a major Japanese electronics manufacturer, in cooperation with the Riken research institute, announced the imminent release of a quantum computer. The power of the device will be 64 qubits. It’s reported by the publication Nikkei Asia.
The first quantum computers will be offered for use in research centers. For example, for creating medicines or financial forecasting, as well as for calculations in the engineering industry.
The cooperation between Fujitsu and Riken began last April. The organizations created the Riken RQC-Fujitsu Collaboration Center. About 20 researchers worked on combining Riken’s expertise in quantum computing technology with the innovative superconducting circuits of Fujitsu’s computing mechanisms. The joint work resulted in the 64-qubit quantum computer, which is scheduled for commercial production as soon as next year.
The research center’s developments will be used to create more powerful quantum computers in the future. The researchers claim that by 2027, they’ll be able to present a quantum mechanism with more than 1,000 qubits of power to the public.
Vivek Mahajan, the head of Fujitsu, said that the developed quantum computer is able to solve supercomplex mathematical problems. In particular, to crack the SHA-256 algorithm, which is the basis of the cryptographic encryption of the Bitcoin blockchain. Recall that scientists at the University of Sussex have previously pointed to the security threat to blockchain networks from quantum computers.
Read about quantum computers and the threat their creation poses to cryptocurrencies in this op-ed.
