China launches mass production of ultra-pure silicon-28: a breakthrough for quantum computing
China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has announced the launch of serial production of silicon-28 isotope with record purity — above 99.99%. This is the first case in the country's history of independent large-scale production of this material, marking a strategic shift in the field of high-tech materials science.
Silicon-28 is a key component for creating quantum computers based on silicon architecture. Its unique property lies in the absence of nuclear spin, which radically reduces the level of magnetic interference. As a result, qubits built on such material demonstrate significantly higher stability and coherence time — critically important parameters for the practical implementation of quantum computing.
Until now, global production of silicon-28 has been limited to laboratory scales, with the main suppliers being several Western companies. China's breakthrough means that Beijing not only eliminates its dependence on imports but also gains the ability to dictate prices for a strategically important resource. Given that the quantum technology race directly affects the future of cryptography, modeling, and artificial intelligence, this event has far-reaching geopolitical implications.
It is worth noting that for the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry, this step by Chinese authorities has a dual significance. On the one hand, the growth of computing power in quantum systems creates a potential threat to the encryption algorithms underlying Bitcoin and Ethereum. On the other hand, by controlling the production of key materials, China effectively gains leverage over the pace of development of the entire quantum computing industry worldwide.
My expertise: The launch of mass production of silicon-28 is not just a technological novelty. It is a signal that China intends to take a dominant position in the supply chain for quantum computing. For crypto investors, this means that the timeline for the "quantum threat" to blockchain may shrink: if earlier we talked about 10-15 years, now the horizon could be reduced to 5-7 years. The market should start looking at projects developing post-quantum cryptography today.