StarkWare Secures Bitcoin with Quantum-Safe Method
A quantum-safe method for securing Bitcoin has been successfully implemented on the mainnet by StarkWare. The achievement, led by Avihu Levy, General Manager of Applications at StarkWare, marks a significant milestone in protecting funds from potential quantum attacks.
The first quantum-safe transaction was confirmed in block 964,199 on August 26, 2026. It spent a modest 10,000 satoshis and cost 5,179 satoshis in fees.
The method relies on hash-based constructions instead of elliptic-curve cryptography, which is vulnerable to quantum attacks using Shor's algorithm. This approach provides approximately 118-bit second-preimage resistance against quantum threats.
StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson stated that the achievement allows Bitcoin holders to secure their coins in a quantum-resistant manner, providing immediate safeguards while a longer-term soft-fork solution is developed.