OpenAI claims a cryptography breakthrough. Does that threaten Bitcoin?
OpenAI claims its AI system has refuted the Exponential Time Hypothesis by finding a subexponential-time algorithm for exactly counting solutions to certain Boolean formulas. The result has been formally verified in Lean, but its scope and strongest claimed bound remain under independent examination; organizers stress they have not certified it. The finding does not establish polynomial-time solutions, settle P=NP or demonstrate a practical attack on Bitcoin. Bitcoin mining and transaction authorization rely on distinct mechanisms, and applying the result to signatures or hashes would require a suitable encoding and realistic cost analysis. OpenAI says substantial further research is needed for practical improvements. The independent review is underway, with findings to be shared as it progresses.
