US President-elect Donald Trump promised during his campaign to build a strategic reserve of bitcoin held by the US government. However, the continuous breakthroughs in quantum computing technology have made the fate of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin seem uncertain. The Wall Street Journal reported on the 23rd that some people are concerned that the continued development of quantum computing may allow hackers to crack the encryption technology that ensures the security of bitcoin and thus steal bitcoin. The report quoted researchers as saying that quantum computing devices that can crack bitcoin encryption technology will take a decade or more to be born, but the development of quantum computing technology poses a long-term risk to bitcoin unless bitcoin developers upgrade the encryption technology. However, cryptocurrency professionals believe that upgrading bitcoin encryption technology will take years. Given the decentralized nature of Bitcoin, upgrading the encryption technology requires a broad consensus among defenders of the "cryptocurrency circle" around the world. The Wall Street Journal quoted analysts as saying that if hackers use quantum technology to launch an attack on Bitcoin, it will affect traditional financial marekts. (Xinhua News Agency)