Key Insights:
- Bitcoin news confirms its first BTC quantum-safe transaction in block 964,199.
- QSB used hash-based protection without changing Bitcoin’s consensus rules.
- QSB transactions may cost $150–$200 and require hours of GPU computing.
Bitcoin news turned to quantum security after Bitcoin confirmed its first known quantum-safe transaction on mainnet on August 26. StarkWare researcher Avihu Levy developed the Quantum Safe Bitcoin method, known as QSB, and tested it on the live network.
MARA mined the transaction through its private Slipstream service, avoiding any change to Bitcoin’s existing consensus rules. The test used a 10,000-satoshi output and was confirmed in Bitcoin block 964,199.
Quantum Safe Bitcoin Targets the Public-Key Exposure Window
Bitcoin held behind a hashed P2PKH address hides the public key until the holder spends those funds. The risk appears after broadcast, when a transaction reveals that public key before miners add it to a block.
That exposure can last roughly ten minutes, creating the window that QSB was designed to address. A sufficiently powerful quantum computer could theoretically derive the private key during that period and redirect the funds.
Levy first published the QSB research in April 2026 and based the method on a modified Binohash construction. The design wraps each transaction in a proof-of-work puzzle secured by hash functions rather than the exposed signature alone.
Levy estimated the approach at about 118 bits of security under Shor’s algorithm. He placed its effective security at roughly half that level under Grover’s algorithm.
The construction fits within Bitcoin’s existing script limits, so it does not require a soft fork. However, the transaction format remains non-standard and ordinary Bitcoin software does not relay it.
StarkWare therefore sent the transaction directly to MARA through Slipstream for inclusion in a block. In addition to Bitcoin news, MARA Foundation head Isabel Foxen Duke described that route as a stopgap rather than a long-term private-mempool solution.
Bitcoin News Test Uses Hash-Based Protection Without Consensus Changes
The Bitcoin news move relied on hash-based protection while normal Bitcoin transactions still use elliptic curve cryptography. QSB uses one-time Lamport signatures and hash functions to reduce reliance on signatures exposed during transaction broadcast.
The transaction therefore confirmed a quantum-resistant spending method under Bitcoin’s current rules. It also showed that miners can confirm the unusual script once they receive it directly.
StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson said the transaction gives holders an option before a permanent network upgrade. He also said he still wants Bitcoin to adopt a soft fork for long-term quantum protection. His comments kept the mainnet test separate from any claim that QSB replaces a protocol-level solution.
Cost and Transaction Size Limit QSB’s Practical Use
The method carries high computing demands despite avoiding changes to consensus. StarkWare said proof generation can require hours of work across several high-end graphics cards. Estimated costs range from about $150 to $200 for one QSB transaction. Levy’s earlier estimate also placed the extra GPU expense at a few hundred dollars.
The transaction is also larger than a normal Bitcoin payment, which limits its practical use at scale. Wider use could increase network data requirements and make transactions more expensive under the method’s current design.
For BTC crypto users, the mainnet result shows that the technique works, but its costs remain significant. Bitcoin news around the test therefore centers on feasibility today, while the developers still favor a later network upgrade.
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