Microsoft Reveals '1,000x More Reliable' Quantum Chip as Bitcoin Threat Draws Nearer
Microsoft said AI is accelerating its quantum computing program and unveiled Majorana 2, a topological quantum chip it claims is 1,000 times more reliable than the previous version, with average qubit lifetimes of 20 seconds and some up to one minute. The company said agentic AI helped sift decades of research, identify materials, automate measurements, optimize fabrication, and find defects that improved qubit performance. Majorana 2 uses a lead-based superconductor instead of aluminum to better isolate qubits from interference, and Microsoft now expects scalable quantum computing by 2029. The work reflects growing concern over “Q-Day,” when quantum computers could break public-key cryptography and threaten Bitcoin and other systems. Google and Caltech have also reported progress, with some estimates placing cryptographic risk around 2030–2032.
