StarkWare CEO Calls for Bitcoin Soft Fork to Build Quantum Computer Protections
Bitcoin (BTCUSD) needs a fundamental protocol upgrade, known as a soft fork, to defend against future quantum computing threats. Eli Ben-Sasson, the head of StarkWare, highlighted this necessity following his firm's successful trial of an interim security workaround. The company executed the first quantum-safe Bitcoin transaction on the main network in late August 2026, using hash-based security measures instead of traditional signature mathematics.
While the experimental transaction proved successful, the workaround has significant practical limits. It requires direct cooperation from miners to process and can only protect newly generated outputs. Any existing coins tied to publicly visible keys on the blockchain remain vulnerable to potential quantum attacks. Although optimization efforts in mid-September 2026 slashed the preparation cost for these specialized transactions by 79% to about $67, a comprehensive network upgrade is still required to secure the entire blockchain.
Investors and developers should monitor whether the developer community begins formal discussions regarding a quantum-resistant soft fork. Additionally, observers will be watching to see if Starknet transitions to a layer-1 blockchain to accelerate its own planned quantum security upgrades by 2027, and if quantum-safe transactions see wider adoption beyond initial testing.
Key points
- StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson stated that Bitcoin requires a soft fork upgrade to achieve long-term quantum computer resistance.
- StarkWare successfully tested an interim quantum-safe transaction on Bitcoin's mainnet in August 2026 using hash-based security.
- The temporary workaround only secures newly created coins and leaves existing public keys vulnerable to quantum threats.
- Engineering optimizations reduced the preparation cost of the quantum-safe transaction by 79% to approximately $67.
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How we writeDisclaimerQuestions and answers
Why does Bitcoin need a soft fork for quantum resistance?
Current workaround solutions only protect newly created transactions and require direct miner cooperation. A protocol-level soft fork is necessary to retroactively secure existing public keys across the entire blockchain.
What was the cost reduction achieved for quantum-safe transactions?
An optimization challenge in mid-September 2026 reduced the GPU computing costs to prepare a quantum-safe transaction by about 79%, bringing the price down from roughly $320 to $67.
When is Starknet targeting its own quantum upgrades?
Starknet is targeting 2027 for its quantum resistance upgrades, and the project may transition to layer-1 status to speed up this process.