Yesterday, news was given about the achievement of a historic milestone for quantum computers, which could also have consequences for the crypto sector.
It is necessary, however, to paint the general picture before understanding the scope of this event.
The generation of random numbers
The generation of random numbers is the basis for generating the seeds of crypto wallets, or private keys.
The problem, well known for some time, is that traditional computers (all of them) are unable to generate numbers that are truly completely random.
For example, those who want to create a crypto paper wallet from scratch can use tools that generate the seed or private keys randomly, but cannot be certain that they are truly generated at random. In fact, generally the tools that allow this “add entropy” by asking the user to move the mouse randomly on the screen to influence the random generation of numbers.
Before the experiment announced yesterday, a way for a machine to generate truly random numbers had never been found in the entire history of humanity.
It can be well understood that if the generation of a crypto seed, or private keys, is not carried out in a truly random way, there is always the risk that it can be somehow replicated or decrypted, even if such risk is actually very remote. Certainly, the risk of storing the seed or private keys in an insecure way is much greater.
The experiment of the randomness protocol on a quantum computer
Some time ago, the director of the Quantum Information Center at UT Austin, Scott Aaronson, invented a certified randomness protocol. The problem was proving it.
Aaronson states that when he first proposed it in 2018, he had no idea how long he would have to wait to see an experimental demonstration.
Well, thanks to a quantum computer such demonstration has been carried out.
According to Aaronson, this is a first step towards the use of quantum computers to generate certified random bits for real cryptographic applications.
The results of the experiment have been published in the prestigious journal Nature, with an article titled “Certified randomness using a trapped-ion quantum processor“.
The article explains that the challenge was to use an untrusted remote device to generate certified random bits.
This is called “certified randomness,” and it is impossible to achieve with classical calculation.
Instead, using the trapped-ion quantum computer Quantinuum H2-1 with 56 qubits, accessible via the Internet, it was possible to demonstrate the generation of certifiably random bits. This was achieved thanks to Aaronson’s protocol.
They write:
“Our results demonstrate a step forward towards the practical applicability of today’s quantum computers”.
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Behind this research, in addition to Quantinuum, there are also JPMorgan Chase, the University of Texas-Austin, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Argonne National Laboratory.
The certified randomness was confirmed by the cryptographers of JPMC, who executed an algorithm on Quantinuum’s 56-qubit quantum computer to generate random numbers.
The supercomputers of the United States Department of Energy were then used to demonstrate that the output was truly random and freshly generated.
According to Quantinuum, this research presents the first commercial application for quantum computers.
H2 by Quantinuum is also defined as “the highest performing quantum computer in the world”.
The Turning Point
Quantinuum declares that the period in which quantum computing was still far from having an impact on society and business is now over.
The company has been working for two years on multiple technical and commercial advancements for the quantum computing sector, and in this specific case, it claims that the new commercial application of quantum computers for the generation of certified random numbers could be used for the proper functioning of our reliable security digital economies, from finance to healthcare, from government to defense.
Even the crypto sector will be able to benefit from it thanks to the secure generation of seeds and private keys.
Quantinuum will integrate the quantum-generated certifiable randomness into their commercial portfolio later this year.
The fact is that cryptographic security is the foundation of the modern digital economy, and it relies on two fundamentals such as standardized algorithms and reliable sources of randomness. Well, non-deterministic physical processes, like those governed by quantum mechanics, are ideal sources of randomness because they offer almost total unpredictability.
The concrete use of the new discovery
Quantinuum writes that for security-sensitive applications, classical generation of random numbers is not suitable because it is not fundamentally random. Therefore, there is a risk, albeit remote, that it could be “cracked”.
The solution is precisely quantum mechanics, because it is largely unpredictable.
So now the use of randomness in critical environments for cybersecurity will be oriented precisely towards solutions based on quantum computers, also because the security needs of end users should grow more and more, in the face of continuous cyber threats.
They write:
“The era of quantum utility promises new radical approaches to solve substantial and difficult problems for companies and governments”.