Bitcoin can be made quantum-safe without a protocol upgrade: Researcher

StarkWare chief product officer Avihu Levy has introduced a "Quantum Safe Bitcoin" (QSB) scheme that enables quantum-resistant transactions without a protocol soft fork. By replacing traditional elliptic curve signatures with a "hash-to-sig" brute-force puzzle, the method protects against quantum threats like Shor’s algorithm using existing legacy script constraints. While the innovation allows for immediate quantum security, it is computationally expensive, costing up to $150 per transaction, and does not address risks to dormant wallets or P2PK addresses. Consequently, researchers view it as a "last-resort" temporary measure, maintaining that long-term protocol upgrades remain the preferred path for comprehensive quantum defense.

(Source：Cointelegraph)