StarkWare Tests Quantum-Resistant Bitcoin Transaction on Mainnet
StarkWare researcher Avihu Levy has carried out an experimental quantum-resistant transaction on the Bitcoin mainnet, which the company described as the first of its kind, according to Cointelegraph.
Cointelegraph reported that the transaction was confirmed Wednesday in Bitcoin block 964,199. Onchain data cited by the outlet shows it spent a 10,000-satoshi output secured by Levy’s Quantum Safe Bitcoin (QSB) scheme, with MARA Pool mining the block after receiving the transaction through its Slipstream service.
Per Cointelegraph, Levy’s research paper and code repository describe QSB as combining hash-based one-time signatures with computational searches that bind an authorization to a specific transaction, a design meant to resist forgery even if a quantum computer breaks Bitcoin’s elliptic-curve cryptography.
The test builds on a proposal Levy first introduced in April, moving it from theory to an onchain demonstration and showing that Bitcoin’s existing consensus rules can support one form of quantum-resistant spending without a protocol change, Cointelegraph noted.
The outlet referenced a March estimate from Google researchers suggesting a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could theoretically derive a Bitcoin private key within nine to 12 minutes of its public key becoming visible, potentially enabling an attacker to replace a pending transaction.
StarkWare spokesperson Nathan Jeffay told Cointelegraph the completed transaction cost roughly $150 to $200, with the release stating the process required hours of computation. Because QSB transactions are classified as nonstandard under Bitcoin Core’s default relay rules, Cointelegraph reported that ordinary nodes would not propagate them before confirmation, requiring direct submission through MARA’s Slipstream service.
StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson said, according to Cointelegraph, that a soft fork addressing quantum resistance at the protocol level should and likely will happen, describing QSB as a stopgap. The outlet noted that developers are separately weighing proposals such as BIP-360, which would introduce a new output type while removing Taproot’s quantum-vulnerable key-path spend.
Based on reporting by cointelegraph.com.
