Bitcoin’s ‘last resort’ quantum-safe solution just got 79% cheaper: StarkWare

A weeklong optimization challenge cut the estimated GPU cost of preparing an experimental quantum-resistant Bitcoin transaction to under $67, potentially making the “last-resort measure” a little easier on the wallet.

The estimated computational cost to prepare a quantum-resistant Bitcoin transaction has fallen below $67 after a week of optimization, down from the roughly $320 spent on the first such mainnet transaction in August, according to StarkWare. 

The results came after participants in the Quantum-Safe Bitcoin Optimization Challenge found ways to push down the GPU computation needed to build a quantum-safe Bitcoin transaction. 

The reduction could make the experimental defense (which doesn’t require changes to the network’s consensus rules) against future quantum attacks more practical for Bitcoin holders. However, the latest optimizations have only been demonstrated in benchmark tests. 

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