Bitcoin quantum-safe transaction cost drops to $66 after StarkWare optimization

StarkWare has reduced the estimated computational cost of a quantum-safe Bitcoin transaction to $66, a 79% decrease from the initial $320 required for the first mainnet test in August. The optimization, achieved through the Quantum-Safe Bitcoin Optimization Challenge, involves 62 accepted improvements across two key computational tasks. While benchmark tests confirm the cost savings, the solution remains experimental and not yet deployed broadly. The latest dashboard update reflects the revised estimate after further refinements, though the technology still requires changes to Bitcoin’s consensus rules for broader adoption. Researchers view this as a potential ‘emergency’ measure for users with large, unprotected balances, though StarkWare continues advocating for a protocol-level soft fork as the preferred long-term defense against quantum attacks, which could threaten elliptic-curve digital signatures used in Bitcoin transactions.