- On May 19, XRP Ledger revealed that it had initiated a full audit with Project Eleven, partnering with the platform to prepare the network for quantum-resistant cryptography.
- This is the second phase, where Digital Ledger also plans to test the new secure signatures before full deployment by 2028.
- The platform is quickly preparing for future quantum threats that could break the private keys of most blockchains.
On May 19, XRP Ledger shared a major announcement where it shared the full review of the XRP Ledger by Project Eleven ahead of the publication of the quantum-resistant cryptography.
In similar advertisementProject Eleven, a leading quantum security platform, also announced that it is working closely with Ripple to “enhance post-quantum readiness on the XRP Ledger ahead of emerging quantum computing threats.”
XRP Ledger stated that they are focused on completing a full audit. Practical testing will also be carried out before the main deployment of quantum-resistant signatures. After the final migration, the ledger will become one of the leading blockchains to prepare for the quantum threat.
Project Eleven is partnering with Ripple to create the XRP Ledger Quantum Proof
In a recent post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Project Eleven revealed its partnership with Ripple to increase the speed of “post-quantum readiness” on the XRP Ledger. Project Eleven will undertake a full review process and develop proof-of-concept solutions. This plan includes hybrid post-quantum signature systems.
This partnership with Project Eleven will provide various benefits, including auditor-level testing. The official announcement read, “The collaboration will include a full audit of XRPL’s validator, custodian, network, and wallet layers for quantum vulnerabilities, followed by the deployment of hybrid signatures that layer quantum-resistant cryptography on top of existing standards and a prototype quantum-secure custodial wallet. Project Eleven will provide working code, real performance data, and a path to production.”
What is Ripple’s four-stage roadmap?
In April, Ripple revealed a Four-stage roadmap In order to prepare the XRP Ledger (XRPL) for a post-quantum future. Digital Ledger plans to implement post-quantum readiness by 2028.
In the first phase, the network will prepare for the possibility that existing encryption may be compromised earlier than expected. Ripple called this first phase post-quantum recovery (Q-Day readiness). At this point, the network will create a temporary block on weak signatures. During this phase, users will be able to transfer their funds using zero-knowledge proofs.
The network is currently in phase two, where they are carrying out a detailed audit of quantum vulnerabilities found on the network. Besides, they are testing post-quantum algorithms proposed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The good part of this stage is that the testing is done on the real XRP Ledger.
According to the report, early testing has been done using ML DSA signatures, which has already been implemented on a testnet called AlphaNet.
The third phase will be based on hybrid integration on Devnet. At this point, developers will be able to verify new quantum-resistant systems.
In the fourth and final phase, the network will implement new changes and add native post-quantum support by 2028.
Alex Pruden, CEO and co-founder of Project Eleven, said in the official announcement, “Every major blockchain is exposed to the same cryptographic vulnerability, but most of the response has remained in the research phase. This post is about implementation. Ripple approaches quantum risk as a practical engineering problem. This is the right approach.”
Ayo Akinyele, Head of Engineering at RippleX, stated, “The quantum threat is not hypothetical. It is an engineering challenge with a clear timeline. What puts XRPL in a strong position is that we are not starting from scratch. We already have core capabilities like key rotation and a verification network that can coordinate upgrades at scale. Working with Project Eleven helps us move faster and more aggressively as we test and implement post-quantum approaches across the stack. The goal is to be production-ready before we need to, and not react when Q-day arrives.”
The threat of quantum computing may arrive in the next ten years
With the boom in artificial intelligence technology and the development of quantum computers, the threat of quantum computing is expected to reach the world. blockchain ecosystem sooner than expected.
According to experts, quantum computers will become so mature in the future that they will be able to break public-key cryptography, which plays a key role in the security of most blockchains. Cyber attackers can leverage Shor’s algorithm to crack these public keys, and they will be able to generate private keys just from their public addresses. These advanced technologies will allow hackers to steal funds from cryptocurrency wallets.
Most blockchains, Bitcoin and Ethereum, use elliptic curve cryptography to create digital signatures. Quantum computers would be able to bypass this type of security, and could affect both new transactions and data already stored on the blockchain network. If these networks are not upgraded in the future, it could pose a major threat to the entire DeFi ecosystem.
Many hackers are already collecting information for major cryptocurrency wallets to carry out a now-decrypt-later (HNDL) cyberattack. In this type of cyber attack, encrypted data is collected and stored in the system. Later, they will be able to decrypt sensitive information after quantum computers become mature enough to crack private keys.
According to Quantitative threat timeline report By 2025, presented by the Global Risk Institute, there is a high chance of between 28% and 49% that a crypto-related quantum computer will arrive in the next 10 years.
Bitcoin and Ethereum are also taking countermeasures to overcome the quantum threat
Amid the growing threat of quantum computing, the majority of blockchain networks are preparing to prevent the future threat. Bitcoin faces a major problem with quantum resistance as many legacy addresses have already shared their public keys with the public. The network is currently not in a state where it can rotate the keys easily. Bitcoin developers are working on key proposals to deal with the future threat of quantum computing.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, A Quantum resistance roadmap In February, he shared plans for Ethereum. It includes support for smart contract wallets, the use of NIST-certified quantum-resistant signatures, and zero-knowledge proofs.
Read also: Cardano expands to Japan via SecondFi and Slash partnership
