Google has set 2029 as the deadline to migrate to post-quantum cryptography (PQC), warning that advances on the “quantum frontiers” may be nearer than expected. The company said rapid progress in quantum hardware, improvements in quantum error correction, and updated estimates of how quickly quantum machines could break current encryption have increased the urgency to act.
“Quantum computers will pose a significant threat to current cryptographic standards, and specifically to encryption and digital signatures,” Google said, adding that PQC migration is necessary to keep authentication services secure. This is the first time Google has announced a timeline for rolling out post-quantum capabilities across its products; the 2029 target is earlier than some industry estimates for “Q-Day,” when quantum machines could feasibly break today’s public-key cryptography.
Google continues to develop its Willow quantum chip, which now reaches about 105 qubits, making it among the more powerful devices in the field. The company framed its deadline as a leadership move intended to spur broader industry migration.
Concerns about quantum threats extend into the crypto industry. Researchers debate whether only wallets with exposed public keys are vulnerable or whether all coins could be at risk. The Ethereum Foundation launched a “Post-Quantum Ethereum” resource hub to protect the blockchain and its value, aiming to implement protocol-level quantum-resistant solutions by 2029, with execution-layer work to follow.
On Solana, developers built a quantum-resistant vault using a hash-based signature system that generates new keys per transaction. That protection requires users to store funds in Winternitz vaults rather than standard Solana wallets and is not a network-wide upgrade.
The Bitcoin community remains divided. Blockstream CEO Adam Back argues quantum risks are overstated and that meaningful threats are decades away. Others, including security researcher Ethan Heilman, have proposed changes like Pay-to-Merkle-Root (BIP-360) to reduce address exposure to quantum attacks; Heilman estimates such an implementation could take around seven years.
As major tech and blockchain projects plan PQC transitions, debate continues over timelines, practical deployment, and whether quantum-secure cryptography will fully deliver on promises. Cointelegraph notes this reporting follows its editorial policy and encourages independent verification.