In brief
- Naoris Protocol launched a blockchain using post-quantum cryptography approved by NIST.
- Experts warn that quantum computers could eventually break the signature systems securing Bitcoin and Ethereum wallets.
- Upgrading existing blockchains may require major protocol changes across wallets, tools, and nodes.
The long-discussed “quantum apocalypse”—or “Q-Day”—when quantum computers could break modern cryptography, has moved from theory to a race against time for the blockchain industry. But now there are blockchain networks launching that claim to be prepared for that inevitability.
On Thursday, Naoris Protocol launched its mainnet, describing the network as a blockchain built with post-quantum cryptography from the start, using algorithms approved by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology.
The project joins a growing list of efforts exploring how blockchains might operate if quantum computers eventually defeat the cryptographic systems most blockchains rely on today.
Most major blockchains—including Bitcoin and Ethereum—secure transactions with public-key signatures, such as the elliptic curve digital signature algorithm (ECDSA). These systems rely on mathematical problems that classical computers cannot feasibly solve. Researchers have warned, however, that a sufficiently powerful quantum computer could break those protections using Shor’s algorithm, allowing attackers to derive private keys from public keys and take control of wallets.
Nathaniel Szerezla, Naoris Protocol’s chief growth officer, said the project deliberately chose to implement the finalized federal standard for the technology rather than earlier research versions of the algorithm.
“Most blockchain projects experimenting with post-quantum signatures treat ‘Dilithium’ and ‘ML-DSA’ as interchangeable labels,” Szerezla told Decrypt. “Naoris treats them as a hard boundary.”
ML-DSA is the standardized version of the CRYSTALS-Dilithium algorithm approved by NIST as part of its post-quantum cryptography program. As Szerezla explained, CRYSTALS-Dilithium and ML-DSA-87 are not two separate algorithms. ML-DSA is the NIST-standardized version of CRYSTALS-Dilithium, published as FIPS 204 in August 2024.
Naoris’ announcement comes as blockchain developers debate how to transition to quantum-resistant cryptography, as doing so would require significant changes to existing networks. In February, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin outlined a plan to replace several cryptographic components of the protocol, including BLS and ECDSA signatures, with alternatives designed to resist quantum attacks.
Bitcoin developers are exploring similar ideas with contributors advancing BIP 360, a proposal aimed at reducing public key exposure in transactions by introducing a new output type called Pay-to-Merkle-Root. The design disables a technical feature called key-path spending, which exposes public keys when coins are spent, and lays the groundwork for adding post-quantum signature schemes in future soft forks.
Because blockchain transaction histories are public and permanent, the cryptographic signatures attached to those transactions remain visible indefinitely. If quantum computers eventually reach the required scale, then attackers could analyze past transaction data to recover private keys from exposed signatures.
Szerezla said Naoris attempts to reduce that risk by enforcing a transition away from classical signatures once an account adopts a post-quantum key.
“Once an account is PQC-bound, the system enforces a hard, irreversible transition,” he said. “The transaction processor checks every incoming transaction. If the sender’s address has a PQC binding in the registry, the transaction must contain a valid ML-DSA inner signature.”
An ECDSA-only transaction from a bound account is rejected with a specific error that tells users that a PQC signature is required for the bound account, he explained.
The Naoris network currently operates with a limited set of validator operators as the project expands participation. Before launching the mainnet, Naoris said its test network processed more than 106 million post-quantum transactions and detected more than 603 million security threats. Decrypt has not independently verified these figures.
Because Naoris cannot retroactively secure assets already recorded on blockchains that rely on classical cryptography, Szerezla said users would need to move assets onto the Naoris network to be protected.
“Assets moved to Naoris become quantum-secure, while assets left on classical chains remain vulnerable,” he said. “The earlier users migrate, the smaller their exposure window.”
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Source: https://decrypt.co/363207/naoris-launches-post-quantum-blockchain-bitcoin-ethereum
