Recent rapid advancements in quantum computing technology have brought the quantum threat back to the forefront of security concerns for cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin.
The possibility that sufficiently powerful quantum computers could break the current cryptographic systems of cryptocurrencies raises concerns about the long-term security of digital assets.
Therefore, transitioning to quantum-resistant technologies and preparing existing networks against quantum attacks is becoming increasingly important in the crypto sector.
First Quantum Secure Transaction Completed!
At this point, StarkWare announced that it had completed the first transaction designed to provide protection against security threats arising from quantum computing on the Bitcoin mainnet.
The company announced that the quantum-resistant transaction took place on the Bitcoin mainnet using the Quantum Safe Bitcoin (QSB) method and was verified by miners.
The statement explains that quantum-resistant Bitcoin, or QSB technology, uses a hash-based cryptographic system resistant to quantum algorithms, instead of traditional elliptic curve cryptography.
What Does QSB Technology Do?
A significant portion of Bitcoin’s current security architecture relies on elliptic curve-based cryptographic methods such as ECDSA and Schnorr. It is thought that a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could overcome these mathematical problems via the Shor algorithm, making it possible to derive the private key from the public key. This could potentially make Bitcoin addresses that have previously published their public keys vulnerable to quantum attacks.
Therefore, it was stated that the most important feature of QSB technology is that it can be implemented immediately within Bitcoin’s existing scripting standards without changing the consensus algorithm or requiring a soft fork.
It was also noted that QSB uses an additional protection mechanism to prevent the public key from being revealed before the transaction is confirmed by the Bitcoin network.
The Cost of the Procedure is High!
One of QSB’s most significant disadvantages, it was noted, is its high computational cost compared to existing Bitcoin transactions.
In research published in April 2026, StarkWare researcher Avihu Levy predicted a GPU cost of approximately $75 to $150 to create the process. However, following actual testing on the mainnet, the cost was reported to be around $150–$200, or several hundred dollars. It was also noted that the calculation process took hours.
Therefore, QSB is currently considered more of an experimental method for protecting high-value Bitcoin assets against quantum threats, rather than an economical alternative for daily Bitcoin transfers.
