Is Quantum About to Break Bitcoin?
The Bad Crypto Podcast
Joel Comm and Travis Wright
4.5 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 16 February 2026
⏱️ 40 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Two years ago, quantum computing was a “someday problem.”
Now NVIDIA is lobbying Congress. Ethereum is funding post-quantum research. Coinbase has launched a Quantum Advisory Board.
So the question isn’t theoretical anymore.
What happens to Bitcoin when quantum computers become powerful enough to crack today’s cryptography?
In Episode 803, we sit down with Christopher Steven Smith, CEO and co-founder of Quantus, a quantum-secure Layer 1 blockchain built using NIST-backed post-quantum cryptography.
We cover:
• What quantum computing actually is (without melting your brain)
• How qubits differ from classical bits
• Why elliptic curve cryptography may be vulnerable
• Whether Bitcoin can realistically fork to quantum resistance
• The risk to old wallets (including Satoshi’s coins)
• Post-quantum signatures like Dilithium
• Reversible transactions and whether they break crypto ethos
• Whether the “digital gold” narrative was a strategic mistake
Is quantum an overhyped sci-fi scare tactic?
Or is it the next existential threat nobody is pricing in?
This is a sponsored episode. As always, we disclose that upfront. We took the interview because the topic is real, timely, and worth exploring.
Welcome to the future of cryptography.
Or the end of it.
Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Two years ago, quantum computing was a maybe a someday problem. Now you got Nvidia lobbying |
| 0:07.2 | in Congress. Ethereum is funding post-quantum research. Coinbase has launched a quantum advisory |
| 0:12.9 | board and suddenly the question doesn't feel so theoretical anymore. So what happens to Bitcoin |
| 0:18.2 | if quantum computing gets powerful enough to crack today's |
| 0:21.5 | cryptography? Is this overhyped sci-fi or is it the next existential risk that nobody's |
| 0:27.9 | pricing in? Today we welcome Christopher Steven Smith the first from Quantis.com to the show to discuss |
| 0:35.1 | these risks. We're just some random qubits trying to crack the code of life |
| 0:39.8 | on this sponsored episode number 803 |
| 0:42.9 | of the Bad Crypto Podcast. |
| 0:46.2 | Five, four, three, two, one, zero, all engine running. |
| 0:54.4 | Lift-off. |
| 0:55.7 | Who's bad? |
| 1:06.8 | And this is the bad Crypto Podcast, the show for the Crypto Curious and the Crypto Serious. |
| 1:11.4 | I am Sir Lord Joel Kham and he is Sir Lord Travis Wright. |
| 1:16.0 | Hello, good sir. |
| 1:16.7 | How are you? |
| 1:18.0 | I am Kwant Daddy. |
| 1:21.0 | You're the Kwant Daddy. |
| 1:24.9 | It's so good. By the way, I am not back in Kansas City. I just took a cool picture of my studio before I left, so I would have it behind me. Because my background right now sucks, so I figured I would use this one instead, just in case you were wondering. Because you actually asked the question, like, oh, you're back in Kansas City city yeah and i'm like no i'm not well fortunately |
| 1:44.4 | your foreground is looking good trav you're you're looking good sir dubai has been very kind to you |
| 1:49.9 | yeah it seems to be it's going well i'm enjoying it out here got it got a great team of people |
| 1:55.9 | working on some really cool stuff and making some moves and all the stuff happening with AI is |
... |
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