Quantum-safe bitcoin transaction cost falls to $66 with AI

Protecting a bitcoin transaction against future quantum computers may be getting much cheaper. StarkWare says a week-long coding contest, in which participants used AI tools, brought the estimated cost of preparing a quantum-resistant bitcoin transaction down from about $320 to $66. That is a projection, not a fresh transaction recorded on the blockchain, but it points to rapid progress on a method that needs no change to bitcoin’s protocol.

From $320 to $66

StarkWare mined its first quantum-safe bitcoin transaction in August. Producing it required about 3,100 hours of computing time spread across roughly 100 graphics processors, which added up to about $320 in GPU costs on top of normal network fees.

The company then made the code public and ran a one-week competition. Entrants used AI coding tools to speed up the heavy computational search the method relies on. The results:

• The original code tested about 146 million candidates per second on a benchmark GPU.
• The best entries reached about 881 million checks per second on the same hardware, roughly six times faster.
• On that basis, StarkWare puts the projected cost of one transaction at $66.

There is a caveat in the numbers. Adding up the cost breakdown StarkWare itself published gives a total of about $83, so the headline $66 figure deserves some caution.

How the technique works

The approach layers hash-based protection, which is expected to hold up against quantum attacks, on top of a transaction. Crucially, it operates within bitcoin’s existing rules. No soft fork or network upgrade is required, which makes it appealing while developers continue to argue over how bitcoin should eventually move to post-quantum cryptography.

The limits

• No second mined transaction has yet confirmed the $66 estimate.
• These transactions have to be sent straight to miners rather than through normal network relay.
• The method cannot protect coins whose public keys are already exposed on-chain.

Why quantum risk is on the agenda

Regulators and bitcoin developers have paid more attention to quantum risk this year. The fear is that a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could one day work out private keys from public keys and move the coins. Having a working option for extra protection, even an expensive one, gives large holders and custodians a tool they can use now. The pace is striking too: one week of AI-assisted work cut the estimated cost by about 80%, a sign of how quickly such tools could improve.

What it means for Indian investors

Most Indians hold bitcoin on FIU-registered exchanges, where the platform manages custody, so quantum-safe transactions are not a day-to-day issue. At $66 a transaction, the method would also make little sense for small amounts. It is more relevant to long-term holders who keep their own keys and to the growing group of Indian companies and institutions holding BTC.

If you self-custody, a simple habit helps: avoid reusing addresses, because that keeps your public key hidden until you spend the coins. You can follow the bitcoin price in INR and bitcoin dominance, or read more about the network on our BTC page.

This article is for information only and is not financial advice. Do your own research before investing.

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This article is AI-assisted, educational and general in nature. It is not financial advice and never a guarantee of profit. Every trade is at your own risk on your own exchange. See our risk disclosure and editorial policy.