StarkWare mines first quantum-safe Bitcoin transaction via MARA Slipstream

StarkWare mined the first quantum-safe Bitcoin transaction on mainnet yesterday using Avihu Levy’s signature-grinding method. The construction moves coins into hash-based outputs that resist quantum forgery without altering consensus rules, yet it costs hundreds of dollars and requires direct miner submission via MARA Slipstream because standard nodes reject the nonstandard script.^[1]

Network hashrate sits near 889 EH/s after a 1.31 percent difficulty cut to 125.81T, with the next retarget likely another modest decline. Price holds around $78,800 amid MVRV at 1.49 and Fear & Greed near 71, while exchange flows mix modest outflows with occasional whale inflows. The tension is whether this technical milestone distracts from fading miner commitment and thin spot demand that still relies on derivatives momentum. No clean path exists from one experimental transaction to broad protocol resilience at current costs and relay policies.