MARA CEO Peter Thiel announced the formation of the non-profit MARA Foundation on Monday, representing the firm's strategic commitment to supporting the long-term health, resilience, and adoption of the Bitcoin protocol.
The foundation will focus on quantum-resistant Bitcoin technologies, including research and development of post-quantum wallets and proposals like BIP 360. According to the foundation's website, quantum computing does not pose an immediate threat to Bitcoin, but early preparation is critical given the network's deliberate upgrade cycle. The organization will support development of quantum-resistant tools to protect against potential future risks to elliptic curve cryptography used in some Bitcoin addresses.
The foundation will also direct resources to securing Bitcoin's long-term security budget. As the mining subsidy continues to halve every four years and eventually phases out, miners will become increasingly reliant on transaction fees for revenue. The foundation aims to support development of a robust fee market to ensure Bitcoin remains economically secure.
As one of the largest Bitcoin miners by hashpower and the fourth-largest corporate Bitcoin holder, MARA is expanding its advocacy through the foundation's broader initiatives, including global multilingual education, expanded access to self-custodial tools, and outreach to policymakers and activists.