This thread had gotten quiet, but now NewScientist is reporting a development in the domain of proof-of-work currencies, in which miners compete to solve difficult math problems.
Brennen and his team have proposed using a kind of quantum computer called a boson sampler to create a new cryptocurrency network, which should be a more energy-efficient alternative when run on quantum hardware.
For two people on the network to agree on something, which is required to certify transactions or mine currency, they both must prove they have performed true boson sampling, which involves measuring a sample of photons that have passed through a labyrinth of mirrors and beam splitters. Classical computers can’t accurately make these measurements above a certain number of photons.
Sounds … expensive … and a bit silly.
And how is Bitcoin doing? It’s actually nearly doubled (CoinMarketCap here) from my last note of a while ago, from $16,000 to $30,000, which I don’t take to mean anything in particular, except volatility is not a desirable characteristic of a currency.
