StarkWare: Verifying quantum secure locking solutions on the Bitcoin mainnet but not yet suitable for large-scale use

Starknet published an article introducing the Quantum Secure Bitcoin solution (QSB), stating that StarkWare researchers have verified a quantum secure locking mechanism on the Bitcoin mainnet that does not require a soft fork, new opcodes, or modifications to consensus rules. The first QSB output was completed on August 26, 2026, in Bitcoin mainnet block 964,199, with related GPU computing costs dropping from approximately $320 to about $50.

QSB constructs the locking mechanism through hash calculations, but each transaction still requires significant computation, and assets transferred into this solution still need to undergo traditional transactions that are subject to quantum risks. This transaction does not comply with the default relay rules of Bitcoin Core, and currently, there are no accompanying wallets, address formats, or recovery processes. StarkWare stated that QSB is an emergency research solution, and a long-term solution will still need to introduce post-quantum signature mechanisms through a soft fork. The comprehensive quantum security of Starknet also depends on the progress of Ethereum's underlying upgrades.