[ExI] Sell your Bitcoins!

[Jason Resch]

On Mon, May 18, 2026, 1:28 PM John Clark <johnkclark at gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> On Mon, May 18, 2026 at 10:11 AM Jason Resch via extropy-chat <
> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>
> *> >> You've been telling people to sell their bitcoins since 2017.*
>>>
>>>
>> *>> I think you must be confusing me with somebody else, in 2017 I still
>>> foolishly believed bitcoin might be a net positive force in the world. I
>>> was dead wrong. In 2017 I never predicted the price of bitcoin would
>>> collapse, and certainly not  collapse because of quantum computers. In 2017
>>> I wasn't certain that building a fault tolerant quantum computer would even
>>> be possible, much less practical. But things have changed radically since
>>> 2017. *
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *> On September 13th, 2017 on this very e-mail list
>> <https://lists.extropy.org/pipermail/extropy-chat/2017-September/093311.html>,
>> you wrote "If you ever hear that Microsoft has built a topological quantum
>> computer that can factor the number 15 then sell your Bitcoins, hold onto
>> your hat, and get ready for a wild ride."Note that IBM had factored the
>> number 15 <https://www.ibm.com/quantum/blog/factor-15-shors-algorithm> in
>> 2001, *
>
>
> *You think I didn't know that in 2017? That 2001 IBM quantum computer was
> NOT fault tolerant, nor did I imply in 2017 that a fault tolerant machine
> was likely to arrive soon, and if you intend to factor a number much
> greater than 15 you're going to need it to be fault tolerant; but today in
> 2026 I am saying something different, I am saying that such a machine will
> arrive soon. And when it does the shit is gonna hit the fan. *
>
> *As for a topological quantum computer I stand by what I wrote then, if
> somebody announces they have made a breakthrough and have invented a
> topological quantum computer then bitcoin is toast. But in 2017 I didn't
> know if such a machine was possible, and in 2026 I still don't know if
> a topological quantum computer is practical or even possible, but that's
> not the only way to make a fault tolerant machine. *
>
> *> so in effect, you were telling people then that it was too late and to
>> sell their bitcoins. *
>
>
> *BULLSHIT! You are being disingenuous, and that really pisses me off. *
>

I did not know that a topological quantum computer was categorically
different from IBM's, which was clear from my asking why I didn't know why
it was important whether it was IBM or Microsoft that factored 15. Clearly
then it was a misunderstanding on my part and not me being disingenuous.
But I do consider your deleting that part of my email as likely motivated
by disingenuous reasons.

Jason
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