StarkWare Achieves First Quantum-Safe Transaction on Mainnet

StarkWare has achieved a major milestone in Bitcoin's development by successfully completing its first quantum-safe transaction on the mainnet. On August 26, 2026, a transaction using the Quantum-Safe Bitcoin (QSB) method was mined into block 964,199, marking the first time this technology has been used on the live network.

One of the key advantages of QSB is that it does not require any changes to Bitcoin's existing rules or consensus protocols. Instead, it uses existing Bitcoin Script features to add an additional spending condition, making it a non-invasive solution for protecting against future quantum threats.

The transaction was made possible through StarkWare's Slipstream service, which allowed MARA to receive and process the transaction on mainnet. While this achievement is significant, it's essential to note that QSB does not automatically protect all Bitcoin holdings. Coins must be deliberately moved into the special spending setup to gain this protection.

StarkWare emphasizes that a protocol-level upgrade remains the stronger long-term solution for addressing Bitcoin's quantum problem, but QSB provides an alternative path for developers to explore in the meantime. However, it's worth noting that QSB is still an experimental technology with practical limits, including high off-chain computation costs and non-standard transaction requirements.