But for Web3 this progress also brings a serious risk. Trillions of dollars in digital assets depend on cryptography. If that cryptography fails the whole system is at risk.
Last year Google shared results showing a quantum chip solving a problem in minutes that normal computers could not solve in any useful time. This was not a lab trick. It was real work tied to science and nature. Because of this quantum tools are expected to help find new medicines improve materials and make planning and modeling much better.
At the same time most online security today depends on math problems that normal computers cannot solve. Quantum machines are different. They can solve some of these problems very fast. This means common digital signatures used by major blockchains may one day be broken.
In Web3 attackers are already planning ahead. They are saving encrypted blockchain data today with the hope of breaking it later when quantum machines are ready. This means every public transaction and every exposed key could become a future target. Investing in crypto is also trusting that cryptography will hold. Quantum puts that trust under pressure.
Some people say the danger is overblown. Others say the risk is small but real. Even a small chance matters when so much value is at stake. If quantum tools reach the needed level sooner than expected the damage could be huge. Waiting until that day arrives would be too late.
This is where zero knowledge technology comes in. Zero knowledge allows one party to prove something is true without showing private details. Over time this tech has become faster and lighter. It is already used in areas where security really matters.
Zero knowledge can also be built using math that is hard even for quantum machines. These systems do not rely on the same curves that quantum tools can break. They are heavier and cost more to use. But they offer a way to protect assets without tearing apart existing blockchains all at once.
This gives Web3 a smooth path forward. Old systems and new systems can run side by side. Networks can slowly move users to safer methods instead of forcing risky sudden changes. This kind of gradual shift fits well with how open networks work.
Quantum tech can also help Web3 in a positive way. True randomness is hard for normal computers. They only imitate it. Quantum systems can create real randomness based on nature itself. This can make things like validator choice and online games more fair and harder to cheat.
The big question is timing. Large blockchain upgrades take years. Quantum progress will not wait. The smart move is to prepare now while there is still time. Zero knowledge gives Web3 a way to stay safe and even grow stronger.
Quantum is coming. The choice is to act early or react too late.