StarkWare Mines First Quantum-Safe Bitcoin Transaction on Mainnet
StarkWare said the experimental transfer cost about $150 to $200 and showed Bitcoin can accept quantum-resistant spending without a protocol change.
- On Wednesday, StarkWare researcher Avihu Levy confirmed the first Quantum-Safe Bitcoin transaction on the mainnet in block 964,199, demonstrating Bitcoin's existing consensus rules can accommodate quantum-resistant spending without a protocol change.
- Bitcoin currently relies on elliptic-curve cryptography, which theoretical quantum computers running Shor's algorithm could eventually break; researchers are developing post-quantum signature schemes like QSB and Blockstream's SHRINCS to protect holdings before a quantum threat materializes.
- Levy describes QSB as a "last-resort measure," with the experimental transaction costing "low hundreds of dollars"—roughly $150 to $200—and requiring direct submission through MARA Pool's Slipstream service because ordinary nodes reject nonstandard transactions.
- Blockstream's SHRINCS, described by author Marin Ivezic as a "Bitcoin-native" proposal, introduces complexity by adding "statefulness" to manage keys; developers warn these experimental schemes lack formal security audits, with the BIP itself warning that "a security proof is TODO."
- Future efforts will focus on independent code reviews and further mainnet testing as researchers race to secure the network; while these schemes offer a safety net, experts emphasize that a secure, scalable, network-level solution remains necessary for Bitcoin's long-term security.
28 Articles
28 Articles
StarkWare Mines First Quantum-Safe Bitcoin Transaction on Mainnet
StarkWare said Wednesday it had completed the first quantum-safe Bitcoin transaction on mainnet, a spend built to hold up against an adversary running a working quantum computer. Onchain data shows the transaction confirmed in block 964,199 and spent a 10,000-satoshi output protected by the scheme. Bitcoin’s consensus rules were not touched. The method is Quantum-Safe Bitcoin, or QSB, designed by Avihu Levy, StarkWare’s general manager of applic…
Bitcoin researchers propose quantum fix that would not crowd out transactions
StarkWare Tests Quantum-Resistant Bitcoin Transaction
StarkWare researcher Avihu Levy has tested an experimental quantum-resistant transaction on the Bitcoin mainnet, in what the company described as the first transaction of its kind. According to StarkWare, the transaction was confirmed Wednesday in Bitcoin block 964,199. Onchain data shows that it spent a 10,000-satoshi output protected by Levy’s Quantum Safe Bitcoin (QSB) scheme, with MARA Pool mining the block after receiving the transaction t…
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