4 Comments

Hey Chris, interesting thoughts as always. I'm sure you've read about this before with how much you get into these things but you mentioned the 256 bit SHA hash function that bitcoin uses. I'm not an expert on any of this so I just pulled up a quick page that looked good:

https://www.movable-type.co.uk/scripts/sha256.html

The point they make in there that I remember from one of my college courses from awhile back is that a hashing algorithm is a '1 way function', another way to say, you can't undo it. The solution is to find a matching hash. On the other hand, encryption functions can be decrypted with the proper information.

Expand full comment

thanks Sean -- I realize. But the issue with quantum computing is brute forcing all the possibilities. Not possible now, but theoretically possible eventually.

Expand full comment

Yea when BTCs hashing algo can eventually be broken its going to cause some chaos, protocols will need to be shifted forward for sure. I'm pretty sure military standards also still use AES 256 and SHA512 so that will be changed.

Expand full comment

yeah, something else will probably get cracked first, and then they'll have to upgrade.

Expand full comment