Developer Introduces Emergency Quantum Protection for Bitcoin Without Softfork

Bitcoin can be protected from quantum threats without protocol updates, says StarkWare's Avihu Levy.

The network of the first cryptocurrency can be shielded from the quantum threat without a protocol update, stated Avihu Levy, Chief Product Officer at StarkWare.

Quantum-Safe Bitcoin Transactions Without Softforkshttps://t.co/1lx5waX9VV pic.twitter.com/Ni7pA6dEsC

— Avihu Levy ✨🐺 (@avihu28) April 9, 2026

The expert introduced Quantum Safe Bitcoin (QSB) — a scheme that makes bitcoin transactions quantum-resistant within the capabilities of the existing Bitcoin Script.

Standard operations in the blockchain of digital gold are based on ECDSA, which is vulnerable to quantum computers using Shor’s algorithm. As an alternative to elliptic cryptography, the QSB concept proposes Binohash — a one-time signature embedded in Bitcoin’s scripting language.

Binohash ensures transaction integrity through a Proof-of-Work mechanism. However, it too can be cracked using quantum computing.

QSB addresses this vulnerability by creating a “hash-to-signature,” which requires the sender to solve a problem based on hashing rather than elliptic curve mathematics. Even the most powerful quantum computer would be powerless here, noted Levy.

“Since this task relies solely on the RIPEMD-160‘s preimage resistance, rather than any elliptic curve assumptions, it is fully protected from Shor’s algorithm,” he explained.

Practicality

According to Levy’s estimates, the cost of QSB is approximately $75-150 per transaction at current cloud computing prices. This is significantly higher than the average bitcoin fee of $0.3.

Due to its high cost and complexity, the researcher described the tool as a “last resort measure.” However, he considered the price “practically acceptable,” as computations can be distributed and run on multiple graphics processors.

The main obstacles to widespread adoption are code and script size limits, as well as the lack of support for features like micropayments in the Lightning Network.

Despite its compatibility with the network’s basic rules, QSB remains an experimental initiative. However, unlike alternatives such as BIP-360, which require broad consensus, the new scheme does not necessitate changes to the protocol itself.

“If the quantum threat is indeed real, we must continue to seek and implement the best solution for bitcoin — one that is as efficient, convenient, and meets its needs — through protocol-level changes,” emphasized Levy.

Back in April, bitcoin developer Olaoluwa Osuntokun introduced a prototype tool to protect bitcoin wallets from potential quantum attacks.