StarkWare completes first quantum-resistant transaction on Bitcoin mainnet

StarkWare has completed what it described as the first transaction on the Bitcoin mainnet designed to defend against security threats from quantum computing. The quantum-resistant Bitcoin, or QSB, technology uses a hash-based cryptographic system resistant to quantum algorithms instead of conventional elliptic curve cryptography. A key feature is that it can be implemented immediately within Bitcoin’s current script standards, without changing the consensus algorithm or requiring a soft fork. Still, the transaction cost was said to run about $75 to $150 per transfer, and the transaction was processed through direct submission to miners because of its non-standard structure. StarkWare said the result opened a practical path for high-net-worth holders to protect assets immediately from quantum threats without waiting for a network-level protocol overhaul.