IBM Pushes Quantum Boundaries with “Nighthawk” and “Loon” Processors

At the company's Quantum Developer Conference in New York, IBM stated that it aims to reach quantum advantage by 2026 and develop fault-tolerant systems by 2029.

Quantum advantage means a quantum computer can solve a problem more quickly or efficiently than the best traditional computer.

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A key part of this plan is IBM’s new "Nighthawk" chip. It can handle circuits about 30% more complex than those supported by the previous version while maintaining low error rates.

IBM also introduced "Loon", a test processor built to explore how hardware can support systems that detect and correct their own errors.

The company said its error-correction system works ten times faster than before. IBM has also accelerated chip production by moving to a new 300-millimeter wafer plant in New York.

Although quantum computing is still in its early stages, its potential impact is already a topic of discussion, especially in areas such as cryptocurrency. Experts have warned that powerful quantum computers could one day break the encryption that protects Bitcoin BTC $102,005.13 and similar digital assets.

Charles Edwards, who runs the crypto investment fund Carpriole, sees this as a near-term concern. In a post on X, he said:

If Bitcoin doesn’t solve Quantum in the next year, Gold will keep outperforming it forever.

Recently, Willy Woo shared an idea for keeping Bitcoin safe from potential future threats posed by quantum computers. How? Read the full story.