StarkWare completed the first quantum-safe Bitcoin transaction on mainnet, spending a 10,000-satoshi output in block 964,199 without altering Bitcoin’s consensus rules, though the experimental transaction cost several hundred dollars to execute. The Quantum-Safe Bitcoin scheme, designed by Avihu Levy and implemented on mainnet by engineer Tomer Giladi, adds a hash-based second lock resistant to Shor’s algorithm, protecting coins during the vulnerable period between signature broadcast and block inclusion. Because these transactions use nonstandard formats, the team routed the spend directly to a miner through MARA’s Slipstream service. StarkWare presents QSB as an interim safety net, while still advocating for a future Bitcoin soft fork.
This update represents a notable development in the Crypto sector. Organizations and founders tracking this space should evaluate potential strategic and technical implications on their operations.