Can the Most Powerful Computer on Earth Hack Bitcoin?

[adjudicator]

Let me avoid the technical aspects to make things easy for all readers.

So someone said that America's NSA has this great computer(quantum computer) that could easily hack Bitcoin private keys. I really doubt his claim but I know for sure that certain computers  like the most powerful Super Computers are within the reach of some of this Intelligence organizations.
Do you think such computers can crack any security codes put in place to make Bitcoin very secure?

I think they can hack the account of a bitcoin user but to hack the system of the bitcoin, I think is it impossible. Although some hacker today can hack many system on a computer but bitcoin is very complex thing to be hack.

[Nhor1011]

Let me avoid the technical aspects to make things easy for all readers.

So someone said that America's NSA has this great computer(quantum computer) that could easily hack Bitcoin private keys. I really doubt his claim but I know for sure that certain computers  like the most powerful Super Computers are within the reach of some of this Intelligence organizations.
Do you think such computers can crack any security codes put in place to make Bitcoin very secure?

     Everything is possible to happen. Using super Computers maybe can hack  bitcoin but if the computer upgrade  the bitcoin security also upgrade and as the years has past the bitcoin continue to develop including it's security from a lot of hackers and thief.

[squallw]

It's something that Bitcoin's designers need to keep in mind as a "tail risk".

Quantum computers reduce the effective security of our strongest cryptographic primitives (hashes, symmetric ciphers) by about half. That is, a 256-bit hash gives about 128 bits of effective security in a world where quantum computers are used for at-scale computation. 128 bits of security is pretty good security - searching 1037 gives about a 10% chance of breaking a particular hash (finding the hash preimage). 1037 is 10 quadrillion quadrillion quadrillion - that's more than a billion billion times the number of hashes performed by the combined hashpower of all Bitcoin miners in order to mine a block.

The hash address is only 160 bits but it still requires 256 bits of search to break, that is, address=RIPEMD160(SHA256(pubkey)) minus a few technical details. Once you get the pubkey, we typically assume that a quantum computer will easily recover the private key from the public key. However, quantum-resistant public key encryption is still possible. Because of its quadratic advantage (theoretical) over classical computers, we have to double the key space (note that this may more than double key size). IIRC, secp256k1 is 128-bits equivalent security which we have to cut in half in a quantum-computation world - effective security is 64-bits. While 64-bits is too small for securing a large asset (such as all bitcoins), note that each address is secured by 64-bits security. So the cost of breaking all addresses in the UTXO set is at least 64 * nUTXO where nUTXO is the number of unspent transaction outputs. In other words, even with a quantum computer, you still have to break each address separately, and there are a lot of addresses.

Finally, quantum computation will actually help Bitcoin more than it will hurt it. As QC's begin to approach sufficient complexity to be able to mount serious attack against Bitcoin's cryptographic primitives, they are going to force cryptographers to revise usage across many cryptographic applications - traditional banking, government communication and data-storage, military communications systems, and so on. Quantum cryptography offers the promise of new modes of communication that are not possible with classical communication channels. Perhaps you can secure your Bitcoin address with an entangled set of qubits such that only the holder of the originally entangled qubits can prove ownership of the address. So, Bitcoin should not be having FUD about QC.

Address of bitcoin is RIPEMD that is QC resistant, if you generate a address and spend it only ONE TIME and don't reuse the same address, you are safe even QC becomes real.
A lot of wallets always recommend to create new address everytime you need to deposit(assuming that you already spent from previous address).

Some interesting explanation about a QUINDECILLION of addresses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZloHVKk7DHk

[David Vo]

I think it could happen, the more days the technological develops get better. Smart and evil people will surely further develop his ability to get something without working hard just by stealing or hacking something like bitcoin.

[salintheonline]

I don’t have deep understanding of the technical side of blockchain programming, but the concept of Bitcoin’s blockchain is simple - it is a distributed ledger that is located in multiple places simultaneously. It means that, if someone wants to hack Bitcoin, he has to attack the majority of ledgers at the same time, which is almost impossible.

However, it doesn’t mean that hackers don’t steal Bitcoins - they do it, but not because blockchain is the problem. The problem may be in the exchanges, wallets, and other players that operate with Bitcoins. For example, if hackers attack a website, it does not mean they attack the Internet.Mt. Gox is one of the most popular examples of how an exchange can collapse because of an attack. However, there are more examples of attacks. In reality, over 30% of the Bitcoin exchanges were subject of different forms of cyber-attacks.

Still, it is not about attacking Bitcoin.

The blockchain behind this cryptocurrency stays steady at the moment, impossible to be hacked or destroyed by any entity.

[johnwest]

I guess it will take a year or two to hack an independent blockchain. Everyone will know as soon as the hack started so Its near to impossible task.

[Ikpirijor7]

I think this was at that point examined previously and even quantum PCs are not sufficiently capable to savage power a private key from an open key. I am not comfortable with the math but rather this is the thing that I read previously. What's more, as far as hacking, individuals is as yet the weakest connection. Simply complete a social hack on the individual on the off chance that you need to take his bitcoin. It is way less expensive.

[mkhjhv]

This is possible or existing. But the time and resources need to be considered. It may take a few months for it to crack a private key. If people can't confirm whether the private key has bitcoin, then such behavior will only be a waste of resources and time.

[rafi035]

Let me avoid the technical aspects to make things easy for all readers.

So someone said that America's NSA has this great computer(quantum computer) that could easily hack Bitcoin private keys. I really doubt his claim but I know for sure that certain computers  like the most powerful Super Computers are within the reach of some of this Intelligence organizations.
Do you think such computers can crack any security codes put in place to make Bitcoin very secure?

all can happen as the times and technology develops but I think we better do things that do not make us lose the bitcoin we have the security

[tunapa]

I dont think so. However anything is hackable but I believe the chances of hacking the bitcoin private keys is very very low. It can only occur maybe once in a zillion trials. So I don't think anyone would want to go through that stress. Hacking is possible only when the owner is careless with his private keys or ignorantly authorizing an access to it.

[Smolterson]

I saw a video on youtube when it was explained that the hardware power of super mega computer that could hack the bitcoin hash defense should have such a level of capacity that will be equal to several billion billions hashes per second. It's unrealistic power for computer on earth that's why it cant be hacked.

[Stargazer]

Yes, it can. Nothing is impossible in this world. One can take over others. It's reasonable and straightforward. If the world or the big countries are want to pull down bitcoin, they can easily do it. You mentioned Most powerful computer on the earth, Then that computer and the team who made that computer they can easily hack bitcoin's system. If not now then after a decade they will can. It's not impossible to do. When super security bank like Swiss bank got hack!

But, I think they will not do it, instead, I can assume they will use bitcoin too after few years.

[@oweljayr]

In my own opinion, not only the most powerful computer could hack bitcoin.  Hackers are hackers, what ever stage they are, if they will hack you, they can and could.  In that aspect, we are the one should be more cautious to avoid being hacked.  If we avoid negligence, no powerful computer is enough to hack our account.  Only my opinion.

[fly99]

Many people are always worried that quantum computers pose a threat to Bitcoin, but I disagree with this view that Bitcoin will evolve with the times. After the birth of the quantum computer, I think that Bitcoin may come in and out with more difficult passwords to fight against Quantum computer.

[crisanto01]

Many people are always worried that quantum computers pose a threat to Bitcoin, but I disagree with this view that Bitcoin will evolve with the times. After the birth of the quantum computer, I think that Bitcoin may come in and out with more difficult passwords to fight against Quantum computer.

Well, if we don't really know bitcoin well we will really  worried about what will happen for us, if bitcoin will hack or not, just like me I don't have much knowledge about the technical matters about blockchain and how it works, at first, I was worried too but as time goes by I do have now the full confidence on it.

[acord00]

In my opinion, it might just happen. But I think that the main factor in robbery or bitcoin hacking is the hacker itself. So the key is a smart person who can hack. As good as any computer used if it is not supported by intelligent human resources then it's like a sophisticated aircraft but no one can operate it. A smart person can create a system with software to steal bitcoin private key. So in my opinion, not a sophisticated computer but a smart person.

[BTMgoMoon]

I think that there will be a quantum computer in the future. Its powerful computing power is very likely to instantly crack bitcoin's private key. This is very worrying. As for the current computer, I don't think it has the ability to crack the cryptocurrency.

[Alns]

in future bitcoin became very secured, technologies are grow up as a crypto. no matter to have any fear about save private keys

[The KGB]

It has already been discussed in here several times already, and i think that almost all the people in here said that it was possible, but it will take some years until all those computers get created.

[Selapesek]

I think it all depends on the level of security.
if it is true that bitcoin can be hacked it means that people are really great and such people can be dangerous if they can break into bitcoin security and break into bank banks around the world. I hope not to have such a person in this world