Ripple has laid out a multi-phase roadmap to prepare the XRP Ledger for a post-quantum future by 2028.
Editorial
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Recent research from Google Quantum AI shows that the cryptography most blockchains rely on today can be broken by sufficiently advanced quantum computers, including the algorithms that secure wallets, sign transactions, and protect digital assets.
Ripple says that the findings make it clear that it needs to prepare for the quantum threat with a plan that treats the required migration as an “architectural challenge touching performance, storage, usability, cryptography, and protocol design”.
The roadmap is made up of four phases, beginning with post-quantum recovery if classical cryptography breaks, to enable safe recovery for account owners. Phase two is proactive planning and experimentation to assess the full impact of post-quantum cryptography on XRPL, while phase three will explore post-quantum primitives.
Finally, in 2028 Ripple is targeting a move from experimentation to execution with the entire XRPL ecosystem. Says the firm: “We’ll design, build and propose a new amendment to the XRPL ecosystem for native post-quantum cryptography and begin transitioning the network to PQC-based signatures at scale.”
