Google has achieved a verified quantum speed-up with its 105-qubit Willow processor, marking a significant milestone in quantum computing. In a study published in Nature on October 22, 2025, the chip executed a physics algorithm approximately 13,000 times faster than the world's fastest supercomputers, completing a task in just over two hours that would take roughly 3.2 years on the Frontier supercomputer.
The experiment involved running Google's Quantum Echoes algorithm, which uses time-reversal techniques to observe quantum information "echoes" through constructive interference. This result is verifiable and reproducible, a first for quantum hardware, with median two-qubit gate errors around 0.0015 and coherence times above 100 microseconds. Google CEO Sundar Pichai described it as a "significant step toward the first real-world application of quantum computing," highlighting potential uses in drug discovery and materials science.
Experts warn that this progress brings the quantum threat to Bitcoin's elliptic-curve encryption closer. Christopher Peikert, a professor at the University of Michigan, stated that quantum computation poses a "more than five percent" existential long-term risk to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, though it remains distant. Transitioning to post-quantum cryptography could increase network traffic and block sizes due to larger keys and signatures.
Willow, unveiled in December 2024, builds on Google's 2019 Sycamore experiment by improving error correction and stability. While not an immediate danger, this breakthrough accelerates the timeline for developing quantum-resistant security measures in the crypto space.
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