Bitcoin’s ‘last resort’ quantum-safe solution just got 79% cheaper: StarkWare
A weeklong optimization challenge cut the estimated GPU cost of preparing an experimental quantum-resistant Bitcoin transaction to under $67, potentially making the “last-resort measure” a little easier on the wallet.
A weeklong optimization challenge cut the estimated GPU cost of preparing an experimental quantum-resistant Bitcoin transaction to under $67, potentially making the “last-resort measure” a little easier on the wallet.
The estimated computational cost to prepare a quantum-resistant Bitcoin transaction has fallen below $67 after a week of optimization, down from the roughly $320 spent on the first such mainnet transaction in August, according to StarkWare.
The results came after participants in the Quantum-Safe Bitcoin Optimization Challenge found ways to push down the GPU computation needed to build a quantum-safe Bitcoin transaction.
StarkWare researcher Avihu Levy published the Quantum-Safe Bitcoin (QSB) design in April, outlining a way to add hash-based protection against quantum attacks without changing Bitcoin’s consensus rules. At the time, he described it as a “last resort measure” due to costs, complexity and limited applicability, while continuing to advocate for protocol-level changes.