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NishMath
@quantumcomputingreport.com
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Project Eleven, an open science initiative, has launched the QDay Prize, a global competition offering a reward of one Bitcoin, currently valued around $84,000-$85,000, to the first individual or team that can successfully break elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) using Shor’s algorithm on a quantum computer. The competition aims to assess the current progress in quantum computing and its potential to undermine existing cryptographic systems, emphasizing the transition to post-quantum cryptography. Participants are required to submit a working quantum implementation targeting ECC keys, with no classical shortcuts or hybrid methods allowed, ensuring a pure quantum solution.
The challenge involves breaking the largest ECC key possible using Shor’s algorithm on a quantum computer, focusing on a gate-level implementation of Shor’s algorithm solving the elliptic curve discrete logarithm problem (ECDLP). Project Eleven has prepared a set of ECC keys ranging from 1 to 25 bits for testing, with submissions required to include quantum program code, a written explanation of the method, and details about the hardware used. The quantum machine does not need to be publicly available, but submissions will be shared publicly to ensure transparency.
The contest, which runs until April 5, 2026, highlights the real-world cryptographic risks of advancing quantum hardware. Project Eleven believes that even achieving a few bits of a private key would be a significant breakthrough. Experts estimate that a 256-bit ECC key could be cracked with 2,000 logical qubits, potentially within a decade, underscoring the urgency of understanding how close current technologies are to threatening ECC security. The QDay Prize seeks to establish a verifiable and open marker of when practical quantum attacks against widely used encryption systems may emerge.
References :
The challenge involves breaking the largest ECC key possible using Shor’s algorithm on a quantum computer, focusing on a gate-level implementation of Shor’s algorithm solving the elliptic curve discrete logarithm problem (ECDLP). Project Eleven has prepared a set of ECC keys ranging from 1 to 25 bits for testing, with submissions required to include quantum program code, a written explanation of the method, and details about the hardware used. The quantum machine does not need to be publicly available, but submissions will be shared publicly to ensure transparency.
The contest, which runs until April 5, 2026, highlights the real-world cryptographic risks of advancing quantum hardware. Project Eleven believes that even achieving a few bits of a private key would be a significant breakthrough. Experts estimate that a 256-bit ECC key could be cracked with 2,000 logical qubits, potentially within a decade, underscoring the urgency of understanding how close current technologies are to threatening ECC security. The QDay Prize seeks to establish a verifiable and open marker of when practical quantum attacks against widely used encryption systems may emerge.
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References :
- thequantuminsider.com: A new competition is offering a single Bitcoin to anyone who can break elliptic curve cryptography using a quantum computer — no shortcuts allowed.
- Bitcoin News: Project Eleven believes this would be an extremely hard task, and achieving even a few bits of a private key would be big news.
- : Project Eleven (P11) has announced the QDay Prize, an open competition offering a reward of one Bitcoin (current value about $85,000) for demonstrating the ability to break elliptic curve cryptography (ECC) using Shor’s algorithm on a quantum computer.
Classification:
- HashTags: #QuantumComputing #Cryptography #ShorAlgorithm
- Company: Quantum
- Target: Security
- Attacker: Project Eleven
- Product: Cryptography
- Feature: Contest
- Type: Research
- Severity: Major