In short
- Postquant Labs launched Quip Community, a blockchain testnet that permits mining with quantum computer systems or conventional {hardware}.
- The system replaces Bitcoin-style hashing with optimization issues based mostly on the Ising mannequin.
- The corporate says the community might additionally observe quantum progress towards breaking Bitcoin’s cryptography.
A startup working with quantum computing firm D-Wave says it has constructed a brand new sort of crypto mining testnet that replaces Bitcoin-style hashing with optimization issues that quantum techniques might resolve extra effectively.
On Thursday, Postquant Labs launched what it described as the primary publicly out there quantum-classical blockchain testnet. The community, known as Quip Community, lets contributors mine cryptocurrency utilizing quantum computer systems, together with typical CPUs and GPUs. As an alternative of competing to unravel the hash-based calculations utilized in Bitcoin mining, contributors compete to unravel optimization issues.
“With Bitcoin, you are fixing what’s often known as the hashcash drawback,” Richard Carback, CTO and co-founder of Postquant Labs, informed Decrypt. “What we’re doing is we’re looking for a specific Ising mannequin that matches a specific power goal. It is an issue that is rather more troublesome for classical computer systems to unravel, however very, very achievable for quantum computer systems to do in a sooner capability.”
Our testnet is now dwell, with the primary quantum subnet in-built session with @dwavequantum, leveraging their superior Advantage2™ annealing quantum computer systems.
Open supply and open to everybody. Take part and earn rewards.
Study extra ↓https://t.co/sBINDRUDdB pic.twitter.com/ovlmHI1wPC
— Quip Community (@quipnetwork) April 2, 2026
Launched in 2024, Postquant Labs develops quantum computing software program and protocols. The corporate partnered with Burnaby, Canada-based D-Wave Techniques to run elements of Quip Community’s Proof-of-Work course of on D-Wave’s quantum annealing processors.
Quip Community asks miners to unravel an Ising mannequin optimization drawback. The Ising mannequin optimization is a mathematical framework wherein an issue is mapped to an Ising‑sort power operate, and fixing the issue corresponds to discovering the bottom‑power association of a system of interacting binary variables.
Profitable miners earn QUIP tokens. These tokens are supposed to pay for time on quantum computer systems linked to the community, the corporate stated. Colton Dillion, CEO and co-founder of Postquant Labs, in contrast the mannequin to Bittensor’s TAO community, which rewards customers for contributing AI fashions and computing assets.
“We’re doing one thing very related, besides you are mining the QUIP token, which can in the end be used to lease time on different quantum computer systems,” Dillion informed Decrypt.
Postquant stated the mannequin might additionally scale back the power required to mine a block. Bitcoin mining has confronted scrutiny over its electrical energy use as a result of it depends on giant numbers of machines performing steady computations.
“For one block, we anticipate that it takes about 13 watts to mine a block on a quantum pc,” Dillion stated. “That is about as a lot as your mild bulb goes to make use of in an hour.”
Quantum {hardware} stays far much less accessible than typical mining tools, nonetheless. Conventional GPUs are extensively out there and used for numerous functions—together with gaming and crypto mining—whereas entry to quantum computing techniques is restricted to company analysis labs and universities.
Trevor Lanting, chief improvement officer at D-Wave Techniques, stated the corporate views quantum processors as accelerators for particular workloads, moderately than replacements for classical {hardware}. He pointed to business makes use of of D-Wave’s quantum annealing techniques in enterprise operations and logistics.
“We’ve clients fixing operations issues and working enterprise operations with our Leap platform right now,” he informed Decrypt. “I don’t see the trade going via a sudden step change. Totally different applied sciences are commercializing at totally different charges.”
Past questions of value and entry, nonetheless, quantum computing additionally carries long-term safety implications.
Researchers are more and more warning about “Q-Day,” the purpose when a quantum pc turns into highly effective sufficient to interrupt the public-key cryptography used throughout the web. Techniques that depend on elliptic curve cryptography—together with Bitcoin and Ethereum—might develop into susceptible if quantum machines are in a position to derive personal keys from public ones.
“Q-Day is getting numerous consideration as a result of many individuals see it as some extent the place the trade reaches a sure functionality degree,” Lanting stated. “I’m extra enthusiastic about quantum chemistry for gate-model purposes.”
Postquant stated it additionally plans to make use of a future model of the community’s system to benchmark progress towards breaking elliptic curve cryptography, the mathematical system that secures Bitcoin wallets.
“Maintain mining Bitcoin,” Carback informed Decrypt. “It’s best to most likely use certainly one of our post-quantum wallets, and we’ll hold you up to date on the progress.”
