Mental Outlaw Challenges China’s Alleged Encryption Breakthrough, Cites Quantum Challenges

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Ruholamin Haqshanas is a contributing crypto writer for CryptoNews. He is a crypto and finance journalist with over four years of experience. Ruholamin has been featured in several high-profile crypto...

Researchers at Shanghai University recently claimed to have made a significant breakthrough by cracking RSA encryption algorithms used in banking, military, and cryptocurrency sectors.

However, popular YouTuber Mental Outlaw has cast doubt on the impact of this discovery, citing several limitations that make it unlikely to affect current encryption standards.

The breakthrough, according to the research paper, involved a quantum computer that factorized the integer 2,269,753, a notable achievement that surpasses previous quantum computing records.

Despite this, Mental Outlaw pointed out that classical computers have already surpassed this level by breaking an 892-bit key, a far more substantial accomplishment.

The YouTuber noted that the quantum computer in China only managed to break a 22-bit key, a much smaller feat in comparison.

For context, early RSA encryption standards used 512-bit keys, while modern encryption methods now range between 2048 and 4096 bits.

Mental Outlaw emphasized that quantum computers, at their current stage, lack the power to break such large keys.

He also noted that quantum computers cannot be easily scaled by combining them to enhance processing power, a significant limitation in overcoming encryption barriers.

Another challenge with quantum computing is the physical environment required to maintain quantum bits.

These systems must be kept at near-absolute zero temperatures, necessitating complex cooling systems to ensure stable operation.

Furthermore, Mental Outlaw highlighted that a significant portion