With current available technology (Considering ASICs and Current Quantum Computing), whats the max Bitcoin Private keys mankind is able to generate per second with ONE central unit of processing working at 100%?
Currently, the fastest transistor can operate at 856 GHz, so in theory that is the fastest that any counter can count -- 856 billion private keys per second or 2.7x10
19 private keys per year.
At that rate it will take about 5.4x10
28 years for one counter to generate private keys for all possible 2
160 addresses.
Now, you don't have to find all private keys, just the ones in use. There are a few hundred thousand in use currently, but let's plan for the future and assume there are 1 trillion (10
12) in use. Then on average, it will take only 5.4x10
16 years to find a private key that is in use.
Let's say that that Dr. Evil is willing to invest a lot of money in trying to crack private keys, and assume that he builds 1 million ASICs that each can check 856 billion private keys per second. With 1 million ASICs, it will take take him on average only 5.4x10
10 years to find a private key.
Now let's put that into perspective. The universe is 14 billion years old -- that's 1.4x10
10 years. If Dr. Evil started looking for private keys at the beginning of the universe, he would only be 1/4 of the way to his first key by now.
Somebody please check my math.
Edit: 2160 unique addresses, not 2256