谷歌的 Willow 量子芯片改变了游戏规则，但它并不是对比特币的直接威胁

谷歌本周发布了Willow——一款超强大、最先进的芯片，改变了量子计算机游戏。虽然科技爱好者为这一突破欢呼雀跃，但比特币人群却显得更加平静，一些人对区块链的安全性提出了担忧。

Google dropped a major bomb this week with the unveiling of Willow – an ultrapowerful quantum computer chip that could change the game for bitcoin. While tech enthusiasts rejoiced at the breakthrough, some members of the bitcoin community expressed concerns about the blockchain's security.

谷歌本周投下了一颗重磅炸弹，推出了 Willow——一种超强大的量子计算机芯片，可能会改变比特币的游戏规则。虽然科技爱好者对这一突破感到高兴，但比特币社区的一些成员对区块链的安全性表示担忧。

So here's the lowdown on Willow, quantum computing, and what it actually means for the OG crypto.

以下是 Willow、量子计算的内幕，以及它对 OG 加密货币的实际意义。

What are quantum computers, exactly?

到底什么是量子计算机？

Quantum computers are next-level machines that use the rules of quantum mechanics to solve problems that regular computers can't handle. Instead of normal “bits” that are either 0 or 1, quantum computers use “qubits”.

量子计算机是下一代机器，它利用量子力学规则来解决普通计算机无法处理的问题。量子计算机使用“量子位”，而不是普通的 0 或 1“位”。

Qubits can be 0 and 1 at the same time, and that makes them ridiculously good at crunching numbers. So with things like cryptography, simulations, or optimization problems – quantum computers can blow traditional ones out of the water.

量子位可以同时为 0 和 1，这使得它们非常擅长处理数字。因此，对于密码学、模拟或优化问题等问题，量子计算机可以击败传统计算机。

And where does Google’s Willow fit in?

Google 的 Willow 适合用在什么地方呢？

Qubits are the building blocks of quantum computers, but they do have one big problem: they become unstable and error-prone when too many of them work together. Since quantum computers need lots of qubits to run, building them has always been a massive challenge.

量子比特是量子计算机的构建模块，但它们确实有一个大问题：当太多量子比特一起工作时，它们会变得不稳定且容易出错。由于量子计算机需要大量量子位才能运行，因此构建它们一直是一个巨大的挑战。

That's what's so exciting about Willow. Put simply, it's a chip that helps these qubits play nice together – making them more “scalable”. In other words, Willow makes it easier to build big, powerful quantum computers that are far less mistake-prone.

这就是 Willow 令人兴奋的地方。简而言之，它是一种帮助这些量子位协同工作的芯片，使它们更具“可扩展性”。换句话说，Willow 使得构建大型、强大且不易出错的量子计算机变得更加容易。

Willow is fast, too: Google says it performed a “random circuit sampling (RCS)” calculation in under five minutes. To put that into perspective, the same calculation would take a regular supercomputer ten septillion years to solve (a really long time).

Willow 的速度也很快：谷歌表示，它在五分钟内完成了“随机电路采样（RCS）”计算。从长远来看，同样的计算需要普通超级计算机花费十亿年才能解决（非常长的时间）。

Now, Willow itself is made up of 105 qubits – which isn't exactly a record number. IBM's Condor processor, for example, has 1,121 qubits. But Willow's qubits are built in a much more stable and efficient way (quality over quantity), which puts it way ahead of the competition.

现在，Willow 本身由 105 个量子位组成——这并不是一个创纪录的数字。例如，IBM 的 Condor 处理器拥有 1,121 个量子位。但 Willow 的量子位是以一种更加稳定和高效的方式构建的（质量胜于数量），这使其在竞争中遥遥领先。

Essentially: Willow is powerful – and it's a total game-changer for quantum computing.

本质上：Willow 非常强大——它彻底改变了量子计算的游戏规则。

What does any of this have to do with bitcoin?

这与比特币有什么关系？

Right, to understand what Willow could mean for bitcoin, we first need to talk about mining – the process that secures the blockchain. Miners update the blockchain by trying to guess a random number called a “hash.” No single computer can guess the hash alone, but millions of mining machines working together can.

是的，为了理解 Willow 对比特币意味着什么，我们首先需要谈谈挖矿——保护区块链的过程。矿工通过尝试猜测一个称为“哈希”的随机数来更新区块链。没有一台计算机可以单独猜测哈希值，但数百万台矿机一起工作可以。

These mining machines run trillions of computations per second, and about every ten minutes, one miner successfully guesses the hash. That particular miner adds a new transaction block to the blockchain and earns some bitcoin as a reward. (That's also how new coins are created, by the way).

这些矿机每秒运行数万亿次计算，大约每十分钟就有一名矿工成功猜出哈希值。该特定矿工向区块链添加一个新的交易块并赚取一些比特币作为奖励。 （顺便说一句，这也是新硬币的创建方式）。

You can read all about mining in our bitcoin guide, but here's where the quantum computer fears come in. Some experts say that quantum computers could eventually overpower regular mining machines. And that could (in theory), give them some form of control over the blockchain – not a good thing.

您可以在我们的比特币指南中阅读有关挖矿的所有内容，但这就是对量子计算机的担忧。一些专家表示，量子计算机最终可能会压倒常规挖矿机。这（理论上）可以让他们对区块链进行某种形式的控制——这不是一件好事。

So, is it all over for bitcoin?

那么，比特币的一切就结束了吗？

Not exactly. Here are five reasons why I'm not too worried:

不完全是。以下是我不太担心的五个原因：

1. The bitcoin network could upgrade to “quantum-resistant cryptography” before quantum computers become a serious threat. Right now, bitcoin's cryptography (the lock that secures it) uses something called SHA-256 – which might not stand up as well to quantum computers. But bitcoin developers are one step ahead here, and they're already building post-quantum algorithms that could replace SHA-256. Willow's just made that a more urgent priority.

1. 在量子计算机成为严重威胁之前，比特币网络可以升级到“抗量子密码学”。目前，比特币的密码学（保护它的锁）使用一种称为 SHA-256 的东西，它可能无法抵抗量子计算机。但比特币开发商在这方面领先了一步，他们已经在构建可以取代 SHA-256 的后量子算法。威洛刚刚将其列为更紧迫的优先事项。

2. Miners are like bitcoin's defense squad, and they could use quantum computers too. That would help them fend off any stronger attacks (from quantum computers) and keep the network secure.

2. 矿工就像比特币的防卫队，他们也可以使用量子计算机。这将帮助他们抵御任何更强的攻击（来自量子计算机）并保持网络安全。

3. Bitcoin's “mining difficulty” automatically adjusts every two weeks (give or take) to make sure blocks are mined roughly every ten minutes, not faster. And the proof is in the chart below: bitcoin's hash rate (the total computational power used by miners) has kept climbing as mining machines have upped the ante. So even if quantum computers tried to mine faster, the network would raise the mining difficulty. The hash rate would go up with it, and the blocks would still take ten minutes to mine.

3. 比特币的“挖矿难度”每两周自动调整一次（或多或少），以确保大约每十分钟开采一次区块，而不是更快。证据如下图所示：随着矿机加大赌注，比特币的哈希率（矿工使用的总计算能力）不断攀升。因此，即使量子计算机尝试更快地挖矿，网络也会提高挖矿难度。哈希率会随之上升，而开采区块仍需要十分钟。

That also means quantum computers can't create new bitcoin any faster – and the 21 million total coin supply cap still stands.

这也意味着量子计算机无法更快地创造新的比特币——并且 2100 万枚比特币的总供应上限仍然有效。

4. Bitcoin transactions get exponentially harder to reverse with each passing block. Cryptographer Nick Szabo explained blockchain security with a simple analogy: a transaction in the blockchain is like a fly trapped in amber. The more amber that sets around the fly, the harder it is for the fly to escape. So the further back you go in blockchain time, the lower the threat posed by quantum computers.

4. 每经过一个区块，比特币交易的逆转就会变得更加困难。密码学家 Nick Szabo 用一个简单的比喻来解释区块链安全：区块链中的交易就像被困在琥珀中的苍蝇。苍蝇周围的琥珀越多，苍蝇就越难逃脱。因此，区块链时代越早，量子计算机构成的威胁就越低。

5.