News 
December 10, 2024 
4 min. 
Google has announced a significant breakthrough in quantum computing with the launch of the Willow chip. This new processor is capable of solving complex problems in less than five minutes. Currently, this task would take current supercomputers about 10 septillion years to complete.
Google introduces its new quantum chip
Willow uses 105 qubits, the fundamental units of quantum computing, and offers significant improvements in error correction. Traditionally, increasing the number of qubits resulted in more errors, making systems less reliable.
However, Willow reverses this trend, exponentially reducing the error rate as more qubits are added. This advancement solves a nearly 30-year-old challenge in the area of quantum error correction.
Google Quantum AI team leader Hartmut Neven highlighted that Willow’s performance on the random circuit sampling benchmark is astonishing. The chip performed calculations in less than five minutes that would take 10 septillion years on one of the fastest supercomputers today. This mind-boggling number exceeds the time scales known in physics and vastly exceeds the age of the universe.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai said Willow is an important milestone in the company’s journey to build a useful, large-scale quantum computer. Potential uses for the technology include drug discovery, fusion energy, and battery design.
Willow was developed at Google’s manufacturing facility in Santa Barbara, California, one of the few dedicated to producing advanced quantum technology. This infrastructure has allowed the company to accelerate progress on building high-quality qubits and reduce costs.
According to Google’s quantum computing development roadmap, the company is only just into the second of six stages of its roadmap.
Could Willow Threaten Crypto?
Quantum computing has long been a hot topic in the crypto community. The main concern is the potential to break encryption and expose users’ funds to theft. However, despite this progress, experts warn that there is still a long way to go before fully operational and useful quantum computers are available.
Some experts estimate that in order to compromise Bitcoin’s code, 13 million qubits would be required. Despite this significant milestone, Google’s quantum chip only has a capacity of 105 qubits.
However, Willow represents a significant step forward, demonstrating that it is possible to build scalable and reliable logical qubits.
Finally, in March 2024, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin proposed a way to mitigate the risk of quantum computing. He posted on his blog a schematic detailing how a simple hard fork could solve the problem.
In addition, Buterin also noted that users would have to download new wallet software, but few would lose their funds.
