StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson says Bitcoin needs a soft fork for quantum resistance

Quantum Resistance and Bitcoin Soft Fork

StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson believes that Bitcoin needs a soft fork to prepare for quantum computers. He has already demonstrated a quantum-safe transaction on the mainnet, but emphasizes that this is only an interim fix.

Challenges of Quantum Resistance

The main challenge is that QSB transactions are considered non-standard and require direct miner participation to land on the chain. Additionally, QSB only protects newly created outputs, leaving public keys that are already visible on the blockchain exposed to potential quantum attacks.

Practical Limitations of QSB

The practical limitations of QSB are significant. The cost of building a QSB transaction is not free, requiring GPU compute to prepare one. The current optimization challenge has reduced the preparation cost by approximately 79%, but the structural limits remain. QSB still depends on miner cooperation, and it cannot retroactively protect keys that are already public.

Crypto Agility and Starknet

Ben-Sasson is also calling for greater "crypto agility" as quantum and AI pressures build. He has discussed the possibility of Starknet transitioning to layer-1 status, which would expedite quantum resistance upgrades targeted for 2027.

What This Means for Bitcoin and Its Stakeholders

For Bitcoin holders, the most important detail is the gap QSB cannot close. Any coins sitting behind already-exposed public keys would not be covered by this interim method. Only a protocol-level change can address that second question at scale.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Ben-Sasson's comments emphasize the need for a Bitcoin soft fork to address quantum resistance. While QSB is a live test of how much friction the ecosystem will tolerate, it is not a full answer for a network carrying years of transaction history.