Submit your entry by April 5th, 2026

Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis until the Prize closes.

To make a submission, you’ll need to set up a Github repository, and share it with us by emailing [email protected]. If you’ve never set up a Github repository, you can find a guide on how to do that at this link.

As part of your entry, you should demonstrate that your algorithm successfully derives a private key from one of the public keys listed in our standard curves and keys.

Before sharing your repository, please make sure of the following:

1. Public - The repo should be publicly accessible.
2. Code - In the repo, include all code necessary to run your algorithm on the appropriate quantum computer or quantum computing platform. The code should run with an example key from our standard curves and keys.
3. brief.pdf - Include a brief in your repo, named ‘brief.pdf’. The brief should contain no more than 2 pages of text and it should explain how you approached breaking an ECC key and any techniques you used or developed. You may include images, diagrams and graphs. Assume this will be read by somebody familiar with quantum algorithms, but who may not be familiar with your particular design choices and the architecture you have used. Take care to explain any unusual things you did. Also include what was required to successfully run your algorithm, as well as any potential drawbacks.
4. README.md - Ensure the README.md in your repository includes the following: your email, a bit about your background, the length of the key you broke, the model quantum computer you ran your algorithm on (e.g. “IBM Heron”, “QuEra Aquila”, “unannounced Google chip”), the specs of the quantum computer you used and how you accessed the quantum computer (e.g. “Rigetti Aspen-M-2 via AWS Braket”), and instructions for running your code. Explain thoroughly!
5. Other docs - Include any other documents that would be important or useful for us to have on hand when assessing your submission. For example, you might include logfiles from the quantum computing platform used, or some data analysis and charts.

Good luck!