StarkWare Executes Quantum-Proof Bitcoin Transaction on Mainnet

Cryptography company StarkWare has successfully performed a quantum-proof Bitcoin mainnet transaction. This achievement was confirmed in Bitcoin block 964,199.

The transaction used Bitcoin's existing scripting rules to create a computational puzzle that relies on hash preimage resistance for security. This method bypasses Shor's algorithm, which a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could use to threaten elliptic-curve cryptography-based signatures.

The developers, led by StarkWare researcher Avihu Levy, utilized the MARA Foundation's Slipstream service to bypass relay limits and facilitate the transaction.

This achievement is considered a stopgap measure, as Bitcoin still requires a protocol-level soft fork to integrate a scalable post-quantum solution. However, it demonstrates that quantum-resistant transactions can be executed on the mainnet without requiring significant network upgrades or changes to existing scripting rules.