Add as a preferred source on GoogleStarkWare Completes Quantum-Safe Bitcoin Payment on Mainnet
The transaction used existing Bitcoin scripts without a soft fork, new opcode or consensus change, but the system remains an emergency research solution.
StarkWare researchers have completed a Quantum-Safe Bitcoin (QSB) transaction on the Bitcoin (BTC) mainnet, demonstrating a quantum-resistant payment method without changing Bitcoin’s consensus rules.
The system uses existing Bitcoin scripts to create hash-based quantum-safe locks. It does not require a soft fork, a new opcode or other consensus changes, allowing the transaction to be completed under the network’s current rules.
The first QSB output was spent Aug. 26 in Bitcoin block 964,199. The computing cost for a transaction has since fallen from about $320 to roughly $50.
StarkWare describes QSB as an emergency research solution rather than a network-wide upgrade. It protects the specific funds placed behind the quantum-safe lock but does not make all Bitcoin holdings resistant to quantum attacks.
A broader long-term solution would require a soft fork to add post-quantum signatures to Bitcoin. No timeline for that change was provided.
Simon Yoon
ReporterSimon Yoon reports on blockchain technology for TokenPost. Send corrections or tips to info@tokenpost.com.