ECDSA.fail researchers publicize lower quantum circuit resource estimates
Researchers publicized an improved resource benchmark for a secp256k1 point-addition circuit on September 10. The result informed Bitcoin’s quantum-risk debate without demonstrating a working quantum attack.
Following a September 9, 2026 preprint submission, ECDSA.fail participants publicized their circuit-optimization results on September 10. The collaboration, documented by Jieyi Long and co-authors, used an open, evaluator-checked process to improve reversible secp256k1 point addition, a component relevant to Shor’s algorithm.
Bitcoin’s signatures rely on elliptic-curve security. The paper’s benchmark minimized peak logical qubits multiplied by average executed Toffoli gates. At its July 26 data cutoff, the best circuit used 1,151 logical qubits and 1,299,453 such gates, producing a score of approximately 1.496 billion. The researchers compared that score with Google’s March point-addition thresholds and reported a reduction exceeding 50%.
The comparison used different accounting conventions and interfaces. It was not formal proof of superiority for a complete attack, a hardware demonstration or a full-Shor success estimate. September’s publication made a specific resource calculation available for scrutiny; it did not establish that existing quantum computers could steal bitcoin or set an official Bitcoin upgrade deadline.