Are bitcoin transactions vulnerable to quantum computers?

With the rapidly advancing technology of quantum computing, the question arises: Are bitcoin transactions truly secure against the potential threat posed by these powerful machines? The underlying encryption of bitcoin, based on cryptography, has been hailed as robust and resilient, but could it withstand the unprecedented computational power of quantum computers? As the field of quantum computing matures and becomes more accessible, could hackers leverage these machines to decrypt bitcoin transactions, potentially threatening the security of the entire cryptocurrency ecosystem? These are pressing questions that require further exploration and understanding of the intricacies of both cryptography and quantum computing.