StarkWare states that a transaction using the Quantum Safety Bitcoin programme has been completed for packing on the Bitcoin main network. According to the company, the test demonstrates an approach that provides additional protection against partial currency holding without modifying the Bitcoin Consensus rule.

Test completed on main network

The methodology is known as Quantum-Safe Bitcoin, short QSB, proposed by StarkWare Researcher Avihu Levy. The study was released in April of this year, and was subsequently advanced by Engineer Tomer Giladi to a trade test that could be implemented on the main network.

StarkWare states that the transaction uses an additional security lock based on the Hashi function rather than relying only on the elliptical curve password system currently used by Bitcoin. According to this, this means that even if there are Quantum computers that can be operated in the future, the funds in the related transactions will be more protected.

The goal is to protect some funds first.

Bitcoin currently relies on elliptical curve passwords to validate transactions. Theoretically, if the quantum calculator is strong enough to operate the Shor algorithm, the aggressor may use it to induce the private key and transfer the money. This is also the reason for the continuing concern about Quantification Risks in recent years.

StarkWare states that QSB does not provide the entire Bitcoin network with immediate quantum security capability, but rather provides a transitional protection tool for individual holdouts, so that users do not have to wait for the whole network upgrade before taking action.

  • The research programme was published by Avihu Levy in April.
  • Project accomplished by Tomer Giladi advanced to main network
  • Coinbase estimate 7 million BTC risk in June

Long-term programme remains soft fork

Starkware also stressed that QSB did not cover all cases. For example, the address where the public key has been disclosed cannot be remedied by this method; in addition, the programme now needs to send transactions directly to miners for processing, with limited scope of application.

In terms of technical realization, the QSB uses the so-called “signature grinding” method to calculate under the chain, to find a trade Hashi format that can be accepted by Bitcoin and to complete the transaction validation in conjunction with the Hashi security structure.

The CEO of StarkWare, Eli Ben-Sasson, stated that the company still preferred soft fork as a long-term solution for bitcoin to deal with quantum threats. Such upgrades could introduce new rules, as far as possible in line with the old nodes. In contrast, the main network test was more like proof that some of the currencies were protected before the official upgrade.

From the information currently disclosed, the test was closer to a technical validation rather than a full retrofit at the network level. It shows that Bitcoin has developed experimental protective paths that can be operated on the main web without any immediate change to the consensus rule, but that there is still a clear distance to Quantum safety across the network.