We propose a blockchain architecture in which mining requires a quantum computer. The consensus mechanism is based on proof of quantum work, a quantum-enhanced alternative to traditional proof of work that leverages quantum supremacy to make mining intractable for classical computers. We have refined the blockchain framework to incorporate the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics, ensuring stability against sampling errors and hardware inaccuracies. To validate our approach, we implemented a prototype blockchain on four D-Wave(TM) quantum annealing processors geographically distributed within North America, demonstrating stable operation across hundreds of thousands of quantum hashing operations. Our experimental protocol follows the same approach used in the recent demonstration of quantum supremacy [King et al. Science 2025], ensuring that classical computers cannot efficiently perform the same computation task. By replacing classical machines with quantum systems for mining, it is possible to significantly reduce the energy consumption and environmental impact traditionally associated with blockchain mining while providing a quantum-safe layer of security. Beyond serving as a proof of concept for a meaningful application of quantum computing, this work highlights the potential for other near-term quantum computing applications using existing technology.

翻译：我们提出了一种需要量子计算机进行挖矿的区块链架构。该共识机制基于量子工作量证明，这是一种量子增强型替代方案，旨在替代传统工作量证明，其通过利用量子霸权使经典计算机难以进行挖矿。我们完善了该区块链框架以纳入量子力学的概率特性，确保其能够抵御采样误差和硬件不精确性的影响。为验证我们的方法，我们在北美地理分布的四个D-Wave(TM)量子退火处理器上实现了一个原型区块链，展示了在数十万次量子哈希运算中保持稳定运行。我们的实验协议遵循了近期量子霸权演示[King et al. Science 2025]中所采用的相同方法，确保经典计算机无法高效执行相同的计算任务。通过用量子系统替代经典机器进行挖矿，可以显著降低传统区块链挖矿相关的能耗和环境影响，同时提供量子安全层级的防护。除了作为量子计算有意义应用的原理验证外，这项工作还凸显了利用现有技术实现其他近期量子计算应用的潜力。