XRP Ledger has proposed a quantum-resistant account upgrade that would let users replace their existing signing keys without paying higher transaction fees. The design uses a NIST-approved signature standard, and Ripple targets quantum security by 2028.
XRP Ledger has proposed a quantum-resistant account upgrade that could protect wallets against future computing threats. Users would replace existing signing keys without paying higher fees.
Users could register new keys and disable old signatures
The proposed upgrade would let account holders register quantum-resistant keys and disable their existing signatures. Holders could adopt the system without changing how they store or access their assets.
The risk comes from how the network works today. XRP Ledger transactions can expose a public key when users authorize payments through their wallets. In the future, exposed keys might allow an account to be broken using advanced quantum computers and existing cryptographic techniques. The design aims to mitigate this risk before such attacks become practical on blockchain networks.
ML-DSA-44 signatures raise storage needs, not base fees
Developers selected ML-DSA-44, a digital signature standard that the National Institute of Standards and Technology approved in 2024. The proposed system requires 3,732 bytes for public keys and signatures, which increases transaction data requirements.
With database overhead, each protected payment would use 5,331 bytes of storage, while a current payment uses 1,704 bytes. Even so, the plan keeps the network's base fees the same.
Migration study set for the first half of 2027
The roadmap calls for the quantum migration study in the first half of 2027, with development continuing after that. Developers are also working on inconsistencies in key generation between the Python, JavaScript and server versions of the system.
The plan budgets between $215,000 and $255,000 for technical reviews and security audits, plus 640 development hours. Tests of the complete performance of validators for the proposed signatures have not been published yet.
Source: CoinGape
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