StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson advocates for a soft fork to ensure Bitcoin's resistance against quantum computing threats. While the company successfully executed a quantum-safe Bitcoin (QSB) transaction on the mainnet, Ben-Sasson describes this method as an interim solution rather than a permanent fix.
The QSB transaction, involving 10 000 satoshis, was confirmed in block 964 199 around August 26–27, 2026. Developed by researcher Avihu Levy, the approach utilizes hash-based protections. However, it requires direct miner participation as the transactions are non-standard and cannot retroactively secure existing public keys.
In mid-September 2026, an optimization effort reduced estimated preparation costs for these transactions by approximately 79%, dropping from near $320 to about $67. Despite this efficiency gain, the structural reliance on miner cooperation remains a significant hurdle for broader adoption.
Ben-Sasson emphasizes the need for crypto agility to adapt to quantum and AI advancements. He has also discussed potentially transitioning Starknet to a layer-1 status to accelerate quantum resistance upgrades, which are currently targeted for 2027. He noted that the protocol change process might delay security upgrades.
