Google Quantum AI researchers have slashed the qubit count needed to shatter elliptic curve cryptography. Fewer than 500,000 physical qubits. Nine minutes to crack a Bitcoin signature. That’s the stark math from a March 31, 2026, whitepaper that reframes the quantum threat to crypto—and everything else relying on today’s keys. The paper, co-authored by Ryan Babbush and Hartmut Neven, targets ECDLP-256, the discrete logarithm problem securing Bitcoin, Ethereum, and most blockchains. Previous estimates demanded millions of qubits. Not anymore. Google compiled Shor’s algorithm into circuits using under 1,200 logical qubits and 90 million Toffoli gates—or 1,450 logical qubits with 70 million gates. On superconducting hardware like their Willow chip, that’s executable in minutes with half a million physical qubits. A 20-fold drop. Google Research Blog . But here’s the twist. They didn’t release the full circuit. Too risky.…