“Cryptocalypse” and “cryptopocalypse” (crypto + apocalypse) have had more than one meaning. The first meaning describes the effects of quantum computing on encryption methods. “Cryptocalypse” was posted on Twitter on June 10, 2011, and “Prepare for the #cryptopocalypse!” was posted on Twitter on September 7, 2012. “Preparing for the Cryptopocalypse” was the title of a talk by Alex Stamos, Tom Ritter and Thomas Ptacek at a Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, on August 1, 2013.
 
By 2017, the terms “cryptocalypse” and “cryptopocalypse” were also defined as a crash in the prices of cryptocurrencies (such as bitcoin). “Welcome to the cryptopocalypse - many trousers have been lost. Less than 48hrs between “BTC hits all time high”, and it losing 33% value” was posted on Twitter on May 27, 2017. “The Cryptocalypse is upon us” was posted on Twitter on June 25, 2017. Both terms went viral in January 2018.
   
   
Wikipedia: Cryptocurrency
A cryptocurrency (or crypto currency) is a digital asset designed to work as a medium of exchange that uses cryptography to secure its transactions, to control the creation of additional units, and to verify the transfer of assets. Cryptocurrencies are classified as a subset of digital currencies and are also classified as a subset of alternative currencies and virtual currencies.
 
Bitcoin, created in 2009, was the first decentralized cryptocurrency. Since then, numerous other cryptocurrencies have been created. These are frequently called altcoins, as a blend of alternative coin. Bitcoin and its derivatives use decentralized control as opposed to centralized electronic money and central banking systems. The decentralized control is related to the use of bitcoin’s blockchain transaction database in the role of a distributed ledger.
       
Twitter
J҉o̸şh͠ua̧ ͟Gǫld́be̶rǵ‏
@wugmump
RT @eamondowling: Cryptocalypse http://is.gd/aorggD #wired #sterling #crytocalypse
11:31 AM - 10 Jun 2011
   
Twitter
kamisori‏
@wafflekater
theregister.co.uk/2011/09/19/beast_exploits_paypal_ssl/
repent, the end is nigh! #cryptocalypse is upon us!! #ssl #exploits
12:34 AM - 21 Sep 2011
       
Twitter       
L. Brent Huston‏
@lbhuston
Prepare for the #cryptopocalypse! Certs will be burned on the roadside of the information superhighways!
2:41 PM - 7 Sep 2012
   
Twitter
NCC Group Infosec‏
@NCCGroupInfosec
Alex Stamos, Tom Ritter & Thomas Ptacek’s talk on Preparing for the Cryptopocalypse is starting soon #blackhatUSA http://ow.ly/nbEua
12:03 PM - 1 Aug 2013
 
Ars Technica
Crypto experts issue a call to arms to avert the cryptopocalypse
Nobody can crack important algorithms yet, but the world needs to prepare for that to happen.
PETER BRIGHT - 8/1/2013, 11:49 PM
At the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, a quartet of researchers, Alex Stamos, Tom Ritter, Thomas Ptacek, and Javed Samuel, implored everyone involved in cryptography, from software developers to certificate authorities to companies buying SSL certificates, to switch to newer algorithms and protocols, lest they wake up one day to find that all of their crypto infrastructure is rendered useless and insecure by mathematical advances.
 
TechRepublic
Are we heading for a ‘cryptopocalypse’?
Patrick Lambert considers the current state of cryptography. Is it doomed to become obsolete as technology advances?
By Patrick Lambert | in IT Security, August 28, 2013, 2:21 PM PST
High profile security breaches, leaks about the NSA’s surveillance program, and the risks of storing data in the cloud have all combined to put a big spotlight on encryption. That is often the mitigation championed by the tech community as a means to protect sensitive and personal data from prying eyes. If we encrypt our files, our connections and messages, then we avoid snooping. It keeps the bad guys and potential spies away. But is encryption really the end-all, be-all of security and privacy? It may not be that simple.
   
Google Books
Managing Online Risk:
Apps, Mobile, and Social Media Security
By Deborah Gonzalez
Waltham, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann
2015
Pg. 32:
Encryption is not to be considered the sole silver bullet, however, and at the 2013 Black Hat Conference in Las Vegas, a session declaring a “cryptopocalypse” on the horizon emphasized the need for stronger keys and protocols.
 
Twitter
Taufiq Akbari Utomo‏
@taufiqutomo
cryptopocalypse. #wordoftheday
10:02 AM - 7 Oct 2015
 
Twitter
Dalhousie Science ‏
@DalScience
“Are we prepared for the Cryptopocalypse?”
http://bit.ly/2awMiyN
8:05 AM - 2 Aug 2016
 
biznology
Cryptocalypse Now: hacking from the future or a Y2K déjà-vu?
■Digital Technology■Internet of Things
by Aaron Kim - Sep 28, 2016
If you have not heard about quantum computing yet, you will very soon, from both likely and unlikely sources, including Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Staged or not, the explanation provided by Trudeau several months ago was probably much easier to understand than those provided by many of the experts in the field. If you are still scratching your head, this video may help untangling the concept:
 
Twitter
Helios Mier‏
@hmier
Microsoft se mueve adelante HOY en la deprecacion de SHA1 para internet explorer https://technet.microsoft.com/library/security/4010323 … #theshappening #cryptopocalypse
12:59 PM - 9 May 2017
 
Twitter
MurkyGoth‏
@MurkyGoth
Welcome to the cryptopocalypse - many trousers have been lost. Less than 48hrs between “BTC hits all time high”, and it losing 33% value
4:12 AM - 27 May 2017
 
Twitter
The 3rd Hand‏
@MasterOfBitcoin
The #cryptopocalypse
(A chart is shown.—ed.)
6:40 AM - 27 May 2017
       
Twitter
K. Constantine‏
@KConstantine_
Replying to @grumpygamer
The Cryptocalypse is upon us.
5:05 PM - 25 Jun 2017
 
Twitter
AltCoinUSA‏
@AltcoinUSA
How to spend your cryptocalypse?
6:49 PM - 27 Jun 2017
 
Twitter
flyingcam‏
@flyingcamm
Cryptopocalypse : Will Bitcoin Crash Below $2000 in July, 2017? Check it out at: http://ift.tt/2tdUcu8  #steem #photography #drone
9:46 AM - 15 Jul 2017
         
YouTube
The Crypto Times v 0.16 - The Cryptocalypse 2017
Crypto Baron
Published on Jul 17, 2017
Discussing the Cryptocalypse, ICO sell-off, bitcoin soft-fork/hard-fork uncertainties, and McAfee’s curious tastes
 
Twitter
Bitcoinist.com
@bitcoinist
15 Sep 2017
Bitpocalypse? Bitcoin Price Plunges as Chinese Exchanges Close http://ift.tt/2ybr8Ck  #bitcoin #blockchain #cryptocurrency

Brochachi‏
@Brochachi1
Replying to @bitcoinist
“Cryptocalypse” has a better ring to it
6:52 AM - 15 Sep 2017
 
Twitter
Danny Clayton‏
@DannyjClayton
Get ready to see the word #Cryptocalypse everywhere as assorted news publications giggle at a term a junior staffer in an office somewhere came up with.
10:47 PM - 16 Jan 2018
       
Trading Advantage Daily
Morning Commentary – Cryptopocalypse Now?
Jan 17, 2018
Yes, it’s a dramatic title, but when it comes to the world of cryptocurrencies trading, it must feel quite painful to many to be invested at this time. For many, they will have seen their cryptocurrency holdings decline by more than 30% in the last few days, some much more depending upon when they decided to buy into the rally. And since every major cryptocurrency is losing large amounts of quoted value at the same time, the cycle has increased in severity at each tick down. But how did we get here?
 
news.com.au
$260 billion ‘cryptocalypse’ as cryptos plunge 30 per cent amid fresh China, South Korea fears
BITCOIN, ethereum, ripple and other virtual currencies have been smashed overnight in a bloodbath of Titanic proportions.
Frank Chung@franks_chung JANUARY 17, 2018 3:04PM
THE cryptocurrency market has lost $US206 billion overnight in what traders are describing as a “cryptocalypse”, with bitcoin heading back towards its $US10,000 milestone first reached last November.
 
But it was smaller currencies including ripple, ethereum and bitcoin cash that were the hardest hit in the latest sell-off, which was sparked by fresh fears of a crackdown on virtual currencies by governments in South Korea and China.
 
Rappler
European stocks dip, bitcoin crashes below $10,000
Virtual currency bitcoin meanwhile dives, falling below $10,000 for the first time in 6 weeks in what one analyst calls a ‘cryptocalypse’ that saw several digital units take a hammering
Agence France-Presse@afp
Published 11:01 PM, January 17, 2018
Updated 11:01 PM, January 17, 2018
LONDON, United Kingdom – Europe’s major stock markets mostly churned lower Wednesday, January 17, as investors took their cue from downbeat sentiment in Asia, while Wall Street resumed its upward trend.
 
Virtual currency bitcoin meanwhile dived, falling below $10,000 for the first time in 6 weeks in what one analyst called a “cryptocalypse” that saw several digital units take a hammering.