StarkWare Tests First Quantum-Resistant Bitcoin Transaction on Mainnet

StarkWare has executed what it calls the first quantum-resistant transaction on the Bitcoin mainnet, moving a theoretical proposal into live onchain testing. The experimental transaction was confirmed in Bitcoin block 964,199 on Wednesday by researcher Avihu Levy, who spent a 10,000-satoshi output protected by his Quantum Safe Bitcoin (QSB) scheme. MARA Pool mined the block after receiving the transaction through its Slipstream service. According to Levy's paper and code repository, QSB combines hash-based one-time signatures with computational searches that bind authorization to a specific transaction, a construction designed to prevent forgery even if a quantum computer breaks Bitcoin's elliptic-curve cryptography. The test demonstrates that Bitcoin's existing consensus rules can accommodate one form of quantum-resistant spending without requiring a protocol fork or hard fork.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has advanced its planned overhaul of crypto custody rules to the White House for review, marking another step in Chair Paul Atkins's pivot toward formal rulemaking over enforcement-driven oversight. The proposal reached the Office of Management and Budget's regulatory review arm on Aug. 25 and has not yet been made public; OMB can request changes before returning it to the SEC, where commissioners would vote on whether to release it for public comment. The SEC is weighing changes to existing rules or new rules under the Investment Advisers Act and Investment Company Act, which could clarify how investment advisers and funds hold digital assets on behalf of clients. The development comes as the Trump administration pushes its digital asset agenda and the CLARITY market structure bill remains stalled in the Senate ahead of a potential September cloture vote.

In market outlook news, Wall Street research firm Bernstein forecast that Bitcoin will reclaim $125,000 by late 2026 ahead of an anticipated cycle peak. The call comes as Bitcoin trades near $79,500 amid a broader recovery in major tokens, with Solana up over 7% on the day and Monero gaining nearly 5%. Bernstein's projection adds to a growing chorus of institutional voices expecting Bitcoin to retest and surpass its previous all-time high within the next 12 to 15 months, supported by improving regulatory clarity and sustained spot ETF inflows.