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How Q-Day Could Potentially Threaten Bitcoin and Your Retirement Savings

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Quantum Computing Threat to Cryptocurrencies

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My initial encounter with Bitcoin was quite modest. Back in the early 2010s, I heard about Bitcoin from student discussions in university math lectures and occasional news about its use on black markets like the notorious Silk Road. While some peers were enchanted by Bitcoin’s allure, my focus was solely on theoretical physics—Slater determinants, Raman scattering, and Cooper pairs were my true passions. Concepts like “cryptocurrency mining” felt alien to my ambitions. However, as Bitcoin and its security implications started intersecting with my role as a physics journalist, I began to realize how naive my previous attitude had been.

This change in my understanding emerged months ago when a collaboration involving researchers from Google, the Ethereum Foundation, and several universities published a pivotal 57-page paper discussing quantum computers’ threats to cryptocurrency security. I stumbled upon this paper while enjoying breakfast in Queens, NYC. Only an hour and a half after arriving at my office, I comprehended that my life was about to pivot dramatically.

Following that, a second study by Oratomic, a quantum computing startup, sparked a media storm. This document not only highlighted the imminent risks that quantum computers pose but also provided a more aggressive timeline for their potential to disrupt current systems. A critical point in both papers was the estimated number of qubits required to compromise a common encryption standard. Google’s team suggested it could be around 500,000 qubits, while Oratomic estimated a startlingly lower figure of 10,000—close to today’s largest qubit array of 6,100.

Although these qubits are not being used for computation yet, it is beginning to feel like a cryptographic crisis, referred to as “Q-day,” is on the horizon. This crisis would render most existing encryptions that secure our digital transactions and communications obsolete. Consequently, Google urges all stakeholders to transition to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) to avert Q-Day by 2029.

Are quantum computers likely to disrupt cryptocurrency security soon? I reached out to numerous experts to gauge this threat level—focusing not only on Bitcoin but on broader cryptographic concerns. Researchers frequently highlighted Bitcoin as a primary example.

Bitcoin’s encryption relies on the Elliptic Curve Discrete Logarithm Problem (ECDLP), a mathematical challenge that functions as a robust defense against traditional computing attacks. This makes ECDLP widely popular for securing numerous internet transactions, including banking communications and leading cryptocurrencies.

However, researchers have known for almost three decades that sufficiently advanced quantum computers could obliterate this security. They even possess a mathematical formula, Shor’s Algorithm, outlining how to achieve this.

Yet, converting Shor into a functional program for a real quantum machine has proven tricky. Large-scale, error-free quantum computers were non-existent in the ’90s, 2000s, and remain elusive today. Nevertheless, the size estimates for quantum computers necessary to crack ECDLP encryption have been consistently declining. Researchers previously estimated tens of millions of qubits, but as per Oratomic, now it’s just 10,000 qubits.

Google researchers indicate that quantum computers are on the verge of demonstrating their capabilities as potent decryption tools, with implications for blockchain technology—the backbone of cryptocurrencies. They have pinpointed a method for executing an “on-spend” attack, stealing assets transferred during a Bitcoin transaction, which generally takes around 10 minutes.

The underlying message in these studies seemed designed to incite urgency among Bitcoin users, advocating for more serious consideration of PQC. Given Bitcoin’s decentralized structure, protocol modifications require wide-ranging agreement among users.

“I am very concerned but wholeheartedly agree with Google’s findings,” stated crypto pioneer Eli Ben Sasson from StarkWare. A few weeks later, he expressed frustration at the inflexibility of Bitcoin’s development. Similarly, cryptographer JP Ohmason, who contributed to key PQC algorithms, voiced skepticism about the Bitcoin community’s readiness for a post-quantum transition, despite recognizing the potential urgency.

The realms of technology, finance, and information security are all contemplating a shift toward quantum-resistant algorithms and protocols by the end of the 2010s. While Ormason anticipates this transition may extend to 2036 instead of 2029, he stresses that Bitcoin users must act swiftly. “Examining the decision-making speed of the Bitcoin community,” he notes, “it’s clear that urgency is warranted.”

A particularly alarming aspect of the threats against Bitcoin is that its security, like any currency, is as much about perception as it is about technology. “Simply raising awareness that Bitcoin is vulnerable could provoke a market panic,” Ormason cautioned, predicting enormous economic repercussions.

While several proposals exist for enhancing Bitcoin’s security via software updates, implementing them necessitates consensus within the fragmented Bitcoin community. Nearly five years have passed since Bitcoin last attempted such a restructure, and Ben Sasson remarks that discussions around altering Bitcoin’s infrastructure have become contentious. “We find ourselves in a troubling situation where everyone understands what’s needed and acknowledges it isn’t overly complex, yet there’s a pervasive fear in discussing it due to the unpredictable reactions from the sometimes hostile crypto community,” he explained.

Abif Levi, a colleague of Ben-Sasson at StarkWare, has recently developed a method to make Bitcoin quantum-secure without necessitating software updates. However, the computational power needed for each secure transaction would skyrocket business costs by over 200 times.

It’s Everybody’s Concern

Could Bitcoin’s Threat Affect Broader Financial Markets?

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The current predicament is a complex web of emerging technologies, advanced mathematics, and human folly. After nearly a decade of filtering out Bitcoin’s commotion, I started questioning whether I should be concerned about these developments. More alarmingly, I found that choosing to avoid blockchain technology won’t shield me from the repercussions of a collision between Bitcoin’s security and quantum computing.

This realization stemmed from my retirement savings. In June 2025, New York Times financial columnist Jeff Sommer reported the unexpected appearance of Bitcoin in his retirement account. It surfaced because his account linked to an index fund that included shares of a company known for holding significant Bitcoin assets. By May 2026, a website called Bitcoin Treasuries ranked this company as the top publicly traded entity owning Bitcoin. Sommer’s findings revealed that major investment firms like Fidelity, Vanguard, BlackRock, and Morgan Stanley included this stock in their funds.

Given that my retirement accounts are managed by Fidelity, any drastic Bitcoin price shifts, driven by quantum fears, could reverberate through the stock of this company, to Fidelity, ultimately affecting my retirement security. In several U.S. states such as California, North Carolina, Texas, and Louisiana, public retirement funds hold stakes in this Bitcoin-related company, emphasizing the wider impact. Additionally, discussions around integrating cryptocurrencies directly into retirement accounts have gained traction, with regulatory changes lurking in the future.

The path forward seems unclear, but fostering collaboration among participants invested in Bitcoin’s future appears crucial. Our society’s progress hinges on such cooperation, and we must acknowledge that future technologies like quantum computing and blockchain need not cloud the importance of consensus. Ben Sasson, a co-author on cryptocurrency literature, advocates for educating users about the implications. Government action—through regulation, penalties, and public awareness—could also facilitate progress.

The current U.S. administration’s stance on cryptocurrency regulation is rather passive, but electoral changes might shift this landscape. Although it’s notoriously tricky for journalists to speculate on future developments, I remain apprehensive about my retirement prospects.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Unlock a Healthy Retirement: How Midlife Adjustments Can Prepare You for Success

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Many individuals aspire to improve their health, yet this ambition often stems from short-term, superficial objectives, such as fitting into stylish outfits for events. Once those goals are achieved, health maintenance tends to falter, leading to a decline in well-being. However, understanding that our present lifestyle choices can significantly impact our health for decades may motivate us to prioritize our wellness.

Consider Alzheimer’s disease as a case in point. As an age-related illness, many people don’t begin to express concern until they reach their mid-60s, often resorting to brain games as a preventive measure. Unfortunately, the process of Alzheimer’s may have already begun long before that.

Recent studies suggest that Alzheimer’s is linked to chronic inflammation in “peripheral” organs, such as the skin and intestines, during midlife, particularly between the ages of 45 and 60, rather than solely emerging in the brain late in life. Inflammation triggered by conditions like eczema, pneumonia, gum disease, obesity, and high cholesterol may heighten the risk of Alzheimer’s. While genetic predispositions play a role in later life, proactive measures can be taken today to mitigate these risks.

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The wheels of Alzheimer’s disease may start turning long before old age
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Furthermore, frailty is commonly associated with older age, characterized by reduced physical strength and compromised resilience. However, evidence suggests that frailty can manifest much earlier in life as well.

This shift in perspective regarding “old age” encourages the cultivation of healthy habits during midlife as a safeguard for the future. Well-established strategies to help prevent Alzheimer’s and promote overall health include engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining good oral hygiene, and nurturing an active social life. Additionally, vaccinations for shingles, flu, and tuberculosis around age 50 may offer protective benefits against Alzheimer’s disease.

Embracing these midlife adjustments can have lasting effects. After all, ensuring you remain mentally sharp at 90 will allow you to fondly recall wearing that stunning outfit at your 50th birthday celebration.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Continuing to Work Beyond Retirement Age Can Enhance Your Life Satisfaction

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Working later in life may not be a bad thing

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While many anticipate retirement, staying active in the workforce during later years can enhance your happiness—particularly for men.

Increasing numbers of people are extending their careers. According to a report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 28.9% of individuals aged 65 to 69 across 38 member countries were still employed in 2023, up from 15.9% in 2000. However, the overall effects on well-being remain largely unexplored.

To delve into this topic, Alisa Lewin from Haifa University and Haya Stear from Tel Aviv University analyzed social survey data from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics. They compared the experiences of over 3,300 women and more than 2,000 men who reached 62 and 67 years of age, respectively.

The researchers found that individuals with lower household incomes were more inclined to work full-time. Notably, the men reported financial, family, emotional, and overall life satisfaction levels that were equal to or exceeded those who were not employed.

This trend held true regardless of the nature of their full-time employment. Meanwhile, women showed an increase in family and economic satisfaction.

Researchers suggest this phenomenon may stem from the idea that women could derive a sense of purpose and fulfillment from various life aspects. “Women may find emotional support and social engagement from other sources rather than relying solely on their jobs,” Lewin explains.

“Men, even today, still recognize their responsibilities in providing for their families and achieving workplace success,” notes Carrie Cooper from the University of Manchester, UK.

Results concerning the happiness of participants working part-time were more variable. Outcomes differed based on job type, satisfaction metrics, and participant gender.

Those who began with higher happiness levels tended to work full-time later in life, which could have influenced the findings. Cooper cautions that the results may not be applicable to other cultures or countries.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Harvard Professor Jonathan McDowell announces retirement and departure from America

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Jonathan McDowell is the go-to expert for all spaceflight. Thousands of subscribers read his monthly Space Reportand we’ve seen him explain unexpected events on orbit on cable news and other media platforms.

But it was always his side gig. For 37 years, Dr. McDowell was an X-ray astronomy expert at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Earlier this year, he announced that he would retire from the role and also leave the US for the UK.

The decision, he said, was complicated by policy changes that have been the first since President Trump took office due to continued pressure on the federal science budget.

“It doesn’t seem like there’s any more opportunity to be an effective scientist and an effective person building the scientific community,” Dr. McDowell said. “I’m just proud to be as American as I used to be.”

Born in the US and the UK to gain dual citizenship, Dr. McDowell joined the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in 1988 and leads the Science Data Systems Group at NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory, the 26th space telescope.

In the next phase of his career, Dr. McDowell said he wanted to spend more time. Document what’s going on in space.

He’s preparing to move abroad, and with the accent he jokes, he’s clearly becoming British. This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.

What is your interest in space?

There were really two routes. The satellites and space side really came from the Apollo program. I remember walking home from a school in the northern UK. I saw the moon in the sky and said, “Next week there will be humans there for the first time. They will be in another world.” It blew my 9-year-old mind.

The astronomical side was wondering what the real story was about where we came from and how the universe turned out to be. It pushed me towards an interest in cosmology at a very early age. My dad was a physicist and my babysitter was everything. I didn’t realize there were other options.

Another major influence was “Doctor Who.” I started watching it at the age of three. It infuses me with the wonders about the universe and the idea that one crazy person can help how humanity interacts with it.

All of them came together and I was just fascinated by what was there.

The UK school system specializes early. I’ve been doing orbital calculations since I was 14, and since I learned Russian, I was able to read what the Soyuz astronauts were doing. I have completed my PhD. At Cambridge University, I was able to spend time with people like current astronomer royals Stephen Hawking and Martin Reese. It wouldn’t have been a better training.

On the side, I used my technical skills to get deeper into spaceflight. At the time, the media didn’t actually cover the space, so I forced my own research.

Did that lead to the creation of Jonathan’s Space Report in 1989?

I just moved to Smithsonian Astrophysical ObservatoryIt was once the center of space information for the public in the 1950s. The civil servants began attacking me with questions they still get from the public, so in Self-Defense, they started preparing their briefings about what’s happening in space every week.

Someone has recommended that I put a briefing in Usenet, a kind of precursor to the web, but it doesn’t exist yet. To my surprise, it was popular. And I never looked back.

In the US, in particular, we saw it more internationally than most news sources. I gave it the same weight as what Russians, Chinese and Europeans did. It helped me gain a reputation and people in the space industry started sending me information.

Why did you keep your space report free?

Honestly, most of the work I do for myself anyway. I am the No. 1 reader. But I now have this role of being someone who trusts to say what’s going on. If I don’t receive direct money for it, I can maintain its reputation for independence and objectivity.

How have space flight and space exploration changed in your life?

I grew up in the 1960s during a superpower. It was the US, the Soviet Union and the Cold War. In the 1970s, space became more international. China, Japan, France and others have begun selling their own rockets and satellites. Then, in the 1990s, there was a shift towards commercialization in both communications and imaging. And then there was another change in the 2000s and 2010s that I call democratization. There, cheap satellites created space within the budgets of university sectors, developing countries, or start-up companies.

The most important thing in space in 2025 is not that there are more satellites, but more players. This has implications for governance and regulations.

Another way to think about how things have changed is where the frontier is. When I was a child, it was a low-earth orbit. The frontier is now close to the asteroid belt, with the moon and Mars becoming part of the accumulation of humanity. On the other hand, low-Earth orbits are so normalized that they are not necessary to deal with space agencies. Just call SpaceX.

How do you plan to spend your retirement?

The UK has been actively and actively working recently in promoting what we call space sustainability. They are committed to using the space, but they are responsible. I hope to be involved in those efforts.

Compile Large catalogue of Space Junk Around the sun that the US Space Force does not pursue. It’s not anyone’s job to track it right now. We will return years later, so we need to put together our actions for things that are farther, farther, what we send out between the planets. We think that when it’s really a rocket stage, it’s an asteroid that hits Earth.

Obviously, it all needs to be scanned and it will take me years. Somewhere, a reasonable commute from London, you will need to find a new home in the library. My plan is to make it available by appointing it when it is unpacked.

What motivates me to closely record human activity in space?

As an astronomer, I think it’s a measure for a long time. I imagine someone who wants to know that, a thousand years from now, perhaps more extraterrestrial times, has stepped into space for the first time at this important moment in history.

I would like to save this information so that they can reconstruct what we did. That’s who I write about. Not today’s audience, but a thousand years from now.

Source: www.nytimes.com