Quantum-Resistant Bitcoin Transaction Successfully Mined on Mainnet

A quantum-resistant Bitcoin transaction has been successfully mined on the mainnet, according to researchers at StarkWare. The transaction uses a system called Quantum-Safe Bitcoin (QSB), developed by Avihu Levy, which relies on hashing rather than digital signatures vulnerable to quantum attacks. This approach is considered more resistant to quantum threats and does not require changes to the network's basic software.

The issue of quantum-resistance has been debated among developers for some time, with estimates suggesting that up to 30.2% of the issued Bitcoin supply could be vulnerable to attacks from sufficiently powerful quantum computers. Some researchers have argued that a quantum threat is likely more than a decade away, while others believe preparation needs to begin well before such technology becomes capable.

QSB requires substantial off-chain computation and was explicitly presented as a last-resort option rather than suitable for ordinary Bitcoin payments. The method can protect coins once they are moved into a quantum-resistant output but moving them there could become dangerous if a cryptographically relevant quantum computer already exists.