IBM Opens Quantum Hardware to Researchers as Bitcoin Security Threat Looms

In brief

• IBM expanded its free quantum computing program, increasing runtime and hardware access for researchers.
• The company opened its Heron R2 processor to users who were previously limited to entry-level systems.
• Advances in quantum research are pushing Bitcoin developers to prepare for future cryptographic risks.

IBM is expanding free access to its quantum computers, giving researchers more time with powerful hardware to run experiments as the threat of future quantum advancements hangs over the crypto industry. The company said Monday it is updating the IBM Quantum Open Plan, a free cloud platform that lets anyone run experiments on real quantum machines. The changes increase runtime limits, add new training resources, and allow access to one of IBM’s more advanced processors. “Starting today, researchers on the Open Plan who use 20 minutes of runtime within any 12-month period can opt in to a special one-time promotion and get 180 minutes of runtime for the next 12 months,” IBM said in a statement.

IBM’s Open Plan usually gives users 10 minutes of time on a quantum computer every 28 days, which lets researchers run small experiments, test algorithms, and try simple quantum programs. The update comes as Bitcoin developers debate how soon quantum computing could eventually challenge the cryptography that secures the network.  IBM is also opening access to its Heron R2 processor, called ibm_kingston—a more advanced quantum system capable of running large numbers of quantum operations quickly while keeping error rates relatively low.

With the expanded runtime and hardware access, IBM said, researchers can run more advanced workloads, including hybrid optimization algorithms, error-mitigation experiments, and other research tied to quantum computing. IBM is also introducing a course focused on planning research programs, identifying use cases, and securing research funding. Over the past year, IBM has reported a series of advances aimed at scaling up its quantum systems. In October, IBM researchers entangled 120 qubits into a single GHZ “cat state,” demonstrating large-scale quantum entanglement. A month later, the company introduced its 120-qubit Nighthawk processor along with a roadmap targeting verified quantum advantage, when a quantum computer can outperform traditional computers, before the end of 2026. These advances are part of IBM’s broader roadmap, aimed at building quantum computers stable enough to correct their own errors and run complex algorithms without the noise that currently limits quantum systems. The goal is to accomplish those tasks by the end of the decade. “Open-access quantum computing shouldn’t just be for beginners running small circuits,” IBM said. “We want to ensure that even serious researchers can extract real value from the IBM Quantum Open Plan for serious experiments and proof of concept work. With 180 minutes of compute on our quantum hardware, you’ll be able to do that.” As tech giants like IBM invest more and more heavily in quantum computing, blockchain researchers are sounding the alarm about the risk involved. Bitcoin developers recently advanced a proposed framework called BIP 360 for dealing with the quantum threat, though it still must undergo a formal review. “The argument about whether quantum is real or whether we should take it seriously is something I tend not to engage with much, because I think long-term reality will make that argument,” cryptographer and BIP 360 co-author Ethan Heilman told Decrypt. “What we’re trying to do is marshal the people who do believe it’s important to get everything set up—to think through all the issues and get the software ready—because by the time it becomes real, we’ll have won the argument and we’ll also be ready to implement,” he said.

Even so, the timeline for a real threat remains uncertain. A recent report from Ark Invest and Bitcoin financial services firm Unchained said quantum computing poses a long-term risk to Bitcoin, not an immediate one, noting that today’s quantum machines remain far below the capability needed to break the network’s cryptography. IBM did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Decrypt.