Quantum threats might be closer than we think, and Charles Hoskinson's midnight launches main net.

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In a newly published white paper, Google's quantum AI team revealed that cracking the cryptography behind Bitcoin and Ethereum may require fewer than 500,000 physical qubits. The number is drastically lower than the millions that experts in recent years have often cited. Google even designed two potential attack methods

that require only 1,200 to 1,450 high-quality qubits. The paper warns that quantum attacks

could potentially hijack real-time Bitcoin transactions in about nine minutes, potentially beating

confirmation about 41% of the time and putting around 6.9 million already exposed Bitcoin

at risk. The researchers point out that Bitcoin's taproot upgrade, which makes public keys visible

by default, may widen the pool of vulnerable wallets, prompting Google to urge earlier

post-quantum migration. Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has debuted Midnight, a privacy-focused

layer one blockchain that he says will address crypto's core usability and data exposure flaws.

Midnight uses a system called selective disclosure, allowing users and businesses to prove things like

identity or compliance without revealing underlying sensitive data like balances or

salaries. To get the network off the ground, Hoskinson funded the project himself and distributed

tokens to 37 million wallets across eight blockchains in one of the largest air jobs in history.

The network's valuation quickly reached $1 billion following the launch.

And the U.S. Department of Labor has proposed a new rule

that would make it much easier for 401K plans to include alternative assets like crypto and private

equity. The proposal is a direct response to an executive order signed by President Trump last

August, which directed agencies to expand access to alternative assets for everyday investors.

If adopted, the rule would mark a massive

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