RSA

PenguinsInvading

You'd be surprised if even 5 people from this entire thread have any Idea what RSA means lmao. These guys don't even work with Risk/Reward.

_Piratical_

Yeah but I bought years ago. I mean I’m sitting on 100% or better profit. That said, by your logic I could say that I’m off by 89% from the all time highs but none of that matters until I sell. Worth and actual taken profit are vastly different things. What my crypto is worth right now is less than it was a month ago but far more than it was 8 years ago. I could still lose if I sell when it’s lower than I bought in. I’ve certainly done that many times. Crypto would have to dump to near zero for that to be true, but it certainly could. All it would take was some system to break RSA cryptography and everything that’s not being stored in cash in a literal vault would be worthless.

AvatarOfMomus

Social consensus only matters in so much as where the money goes. Ethereum has a higher value than Ethereum Classic because the money in the market at the time followed the Ethereum fork, not EC. If there's a "fork" moment for Bitcoin then 90% of the people can go one way, but if 90% of the money goes the other way then that's where all the value will end up, and where the miners will naturally gravitate. > I mean... USB is definitely not required. There's hardware wallets that operate on QR codes. That's going to be a one way communication channel. Which again if your understanding of computer systems is rudimentary it's easy to overlook. Yes... but the system is still taking in the data from the QR code. You're assuming the QR code or whatever is the signature, or that the signature is somehow magically generated without the system knowing the private key used to generate it. That's not the case. No matter how you store your key, when a transaction is signed that key is going to be on a piece of hardware, and if there is *any way* to get information off of that hardware then the private key can also potentially be gotten off of said hardware. There are proof of concept hacks that use the computer's speakers to exfiltrate data across an air gap at frequencies outside of human hearing. Shit like this is why security professionals say the only secure computer is one that is inaccessible and turned off. This isn't to say that these systems can't be made *more* secure, this is me explaining that "Cold Wallet" keys aren't some magic solution to security that Crypto has and nothing else does... the basic concept here is the same one used in RSA 50 years ago.

freakythrowaway79

From my understand & research that is correct. Even between quantum computing & Ai technologies. Technically It would be "illegal" to hack or steal them. From my understanding even the most advanced technology won't be able to hack due to the hashing sequence. 🤔 The mathamatics involved is unthinkable. The blockchain has I'm not sure how accurate Chat GPT is but ask it yourself. There's at least low-level information available to learn about it. Estimating when SHA-256 might be broken by AI and quantum computers depends on the progress of both fields, especially quantum computing. Here’s an analysis based on current knowledge: 1. Classical Computing and AI Threats AI, even with advanced machine learning models, cannot directly break SHA-256 because it’s based on complex mathematical properties like the avalanche effect (small input changes cause large hash changes). However, AI could help: Identify patterns in hash generation or network vulnerabilities. Optimize the mining process to make it more efficient (but not to break the hashing itself). Therefore, AI alone is unlikely to break SHA-256 anytime soon, if ever. --- 2. Quantum Computing Threats Quantum computers pose a more serious threat because of their ability to solve certain mathematical problems exponentially faster than classical computers: Shor’s Algorithm Shor’s algorithm can theoretically break RSA and ECC encryption by factoring large numbers and solving discrete logarithms efficiently. However, SHA-256 is based on a one-way hashing function (not factoring or discrete logs), so Shor's algorithm cannot directly break SHA-256. Grover’s Algorithm Grover’s algorithm allows quantum computers to search an unsorted database (or invert a hash) in √N time instead of N time. For SHA-256, Grover’s algorithm could reduce the effective security from 256 bits to 128 bits — which is still very strong (AES-128 is considered secure against classical attacks). --- 3. Timeline Estimate Current quantum computers (like those from Google and IBM) have only reached about 1,000 qubits — far below the estimated millions of error-corrected qubits needed to threaten SHA-256 using Grover’s algorithm. Estimates vary, but experts predict that: It could take 15 to 30 years to develop a quantum computer capable of running Grover’s algorithm at a scale that could weaken SHA-256. It may take even longer (if ever) to reduce security to a practically exploitable level, considering the need for fault-tolerant qubits. --- 4. Post-Quantum Cryptography To prepare for this, researchers are working on post-quantum cryptography (PQC), which includes hash-based cryptography that quantum computers are unlikely to break. SHA-256 itself is not currently under immediate threat, but blockchain systems could eventually upgrade to quantum-resistant hashing algorithms (like SHA-3 or lattice-based methods). --- 👉 Conclusion AI is unlikely to break SHA-256 directly. Quantum computers using Grover’s algorithm might weaken SHA-256 to 128-bit security, but this would require millions of qubits and may take 15–30 years (or longer) to become practical. Blockchain systems will likely adopt quantum-resistant algorithms before quantum computing reaches this level.

KeySpecialist9139

Bank sector does indeed uses RSA and ECC for encryption and authentication. Shor’s algorithm also threatens these systems, no doubt, by factoring large primes or solving discrete logarithms. However, banks often employ layered security, including symmetric encryption and centralized key management. So my money is a few orders of magnitude safer in traditional banking environments.

Enfiznar

Shor's algorithm can crack RSA cryptography (or any other method that relies on the prime factorization of big numbers) there is no cryptography of this kind in the blockchain, which uses elliptic curve cryptography

xaviemb

Quantum computers aren't built to do meaningful tasks (yet)... recent advancements were only for counting random numbers (for example)... you can't computationally do anything to a network RSA or hash with that. I work on the fringes of the deep study in Quantum and most believe true risk to payment system level encryption (like BTC) is 12-20 years away... and odds of it attacking the BTC network within the next 5 years is less than 0.1%

hughhefnerd

I'm replying to you, rather than brtastic, because while he is technically correct, I feel as though you may benefit more from a more simplistic breakdown (please don't think I'm being condescending, this also helped solidify my knowledge gaps) There are different cryptographic concepts/ techniques which are easily confused because they can be used in different ways: Public Key Cryptography: Is an asymmetric cryptographic system that uses a mathematically linked key pair (public and private keys) PKC has multiple applications beyond just securing data. It can be used for encryption, digital signatures, and key exchange. In encryption, the public key encrypts, and the private key decrypts (used in HTTPS, PGP). In digital signatures, the private key signs data, and the public key verifies authenticity (used in Bitcoin transactions and document signing). Encryption: There are two types of encryption but essentially encryption is the process of making data unreadable/unusable (encrypted) until it can be rendered useable again with a key (unencrypted): Symmetric Encryption: Uses the same key for encryption and decryption. Asymmetric Encryption: Uses a Key Pair, which are essentially mathematically intertwined keys (RSA, ECC) in which the encryption key is different than the decryption key. Hashing: Hashing is a cryptographic process that transforms input data into a fixed-length string (hash) using a mathematical algorithm. It is a one-way function, meaning the original data cannot be reversed from the hash. Even a small change in the input produces a drastically different output. Hashing is used for data integrity verification, password storage, and proof-of-work in Bitcoin mining. Common hashing algorithms include SHA-256 (used in Bitcoin), MD5, and Bcrypt. Unlike encryption, hashing does not require a key and is meant for verification, not secrecy. Hopefully that helps clear some of the concepts up, and explains what brtastic was saying.

Otherwise_Tiger3760

Yes, an ASIC-like chip using quantum computing principles could theoretically be developed, but it would be fundamentally different from classical ASICs used in cryptocurrency mining. Here’s how it could work and its potential implications: 1. Quantum ASIC: A Hybrid Approach A Quantum ASIC (QASIC) would combine application-specific design with quantum computing principles to enhance mining efficiency. Instead of relying on classical transistor-based ASIC chips, it would use qubits for specific computations. • Quantum Gates for Hashing: A QASIC could leverage quantum superposition and entanglement to process multiple hash attempts simultaneously, dramatically increasing mining efficiency. • Quantum Parallelism: Unlike classical ASICs, which perform calculations one at a time per chip, quantum-based ASICs could potentially evaluate multiple hashes in parallel. • Optimized for Specific Algorithms: Just like traditional ASICs are designed for Bitcoin’s SHA-256 or Ethereum’s Ethash, a QASIC could be engineered for a specific quantum-resistant hashing function. 2. Potential Benefits of a Quantum ASIC • Exponential Speedup: Quantum computers leverage Shor’s Algorithm (for breaking RSA encryption) and Grover’s Algorithm (for speeding up search problems). If a mining process can be optimized using quantum search, it could provide a quadratic or even exponential speedup in hash solving. • Energy Efficiency: Quantum chips do not generate heat in the same way as classical silicon chips. A quantum ASIC could require far less energy than current mining rigs. • Superior Adaptability: A programmable quantum ASIC could be adapted for multiple cryptographic functions, making it more resistant to obsolescence than classical ASICs. 3. Challenges of Quantum ASICs Despite the potential advantages, several hurdles must be overcome: A. Quantum Error Correction • Qubits are extremely sensitive to noise and decoherence. • Current error correction methods require hundreds to thousands of physical qubits per logical qubit, making practical mining implementation difficult. B. Quantum-Resistant Hashing • If quantum ASICs become viable, blockchain protocols may need to switch to quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms (e.g., Lattice-based cryptography, hash-based cryptography). • A quantum ASIC might not necessarily outperform a classical ASIC if the mining algorithm is designed to be quantum-resistant. C. Hardware Development & Cost • Current quantum computing hardware is bulky, expensive, and requires cryogenic cooling (except for photonic quantum computing, which is still in early stages). • The cost of developing a quantum ASIC would be extremely high, making it unfeasible for mainstream mining—at least in the near term. 4. Feasibility Timeline • Short-Term (0-5 years): Classical ASICs will dominate, but early-stage hybrid quantum-classical mining research might emerge. • Mid-Term (5-15 years): Quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms could be widely implemented, and small-scale quantum accelerators may assist in classical mining. • Long-Term (15+ years): If quantum error correction and scalability improve, dedicated quantum ASIC miners could challenge classical ASIC dominance. 5. Application to Your Digital Asset Model Given your interest in quantum-secured digital assets, a quantum ASIC mining mechanism could fit well within your system. Here’s how: • The randomized hashing algorithm you envision could be adapted for a quantum mining system. • Quantum chips could enhance security while keeping mining decentralized by preventing early monopolization. • The introduction of quantum-enhanced mining difficulty adjustments could create a fairer playing field. Would you want to explore specific quantum-resistant cryptographic methods that could integrate with your model?