StarkWare executes first quantum-resistant Bitcoin transaction

StarkWare and the MARA Foundation have successfully executed the first known quantum-resistant Bitcoin transaction on the mainnet. The experiment, conducted in block 964,199, demonstrates that Bitcoin can be protected against future quantum computing threats without requiring a protocol-level soft or hard fork.

The method, known as Quantum-Safe Bitcoin (QSB), utilizes a technique called ‘signature grinding’ developed by researcher Avihu Levy. This process involves generating millions of signature variants to find one that does not reveal the public key, thereby preventing a quantum computer from using Shor’s algorithm to derive a private key during the transaction’s time in the mempool.

Because standard Bitcoin nodes may not re-broadcast these unusual transaction types, the transfer was facilitated through MARA’s private mempool service, Slipstream. While the demonstration is a significant milestone for post-quantum security, experts note that the process is currently computationally intensive, can take hours to complete, and is not yet a scalable solution for the entire network.