Algorand to Be Quantum Resilient by 2027

The layer-1 blockchain Algorand has released its plan to tackle the potential threat of quantum computing, with a roadmap to update the network’s infrastructure by the end of 2027.

Algorand Foundation technology chief Bruno Martins said Thursday that the updates will aim to give the network broad quantum resilience, a threat it has been researching and preparing for several years.

“Governments, standards bodies, and security experts around the world are already preparing for a future where quantum computers may break many of the cryptographic systems that protect today’s digital infrastructure,” Martins said. 

Algorand is the latest crypto project to plan for quantum computing as users share increasing concerns that the technology could soon break the encryption underpinning the ecosystem, putting billions of dollars worth of value at risk of exploitation.

Quantum computers, a technology set to be vastly more powerful than today’s supercomputers, are only in their early stages, but Google researchers said in a paper in March that they may need fewer resources than previously estimated to break the cryptography protecting blockchains.

That paper also noted that Algorand was likely the most quantum-ready blockchain, while Ethereum and Solana are also actively exploring solutions to be prepared for quantum computers.

Algorand’s Martins said the roadmap includes new accounts based on its signature scheme, Falcon, designed with quantum-resistant cryptography.

Source: Algorand

He added that the blockchain will also update its consensus mechanism from its current cryptography, which is not quantum-resistant. It will also update how accounts participating in consensus operate and is researching options, including a “hybrid mix” of classic and quantum-resistant signatures.

Related: Nearly 10% of Bitcoin supply is ‘structurally unsafe’ from quantum breakthrough: Glassnode

Quantum threats to cryptography are a growing concern among governments and businesses, with many companies putting plans in place before quantum computers are powerful enough to break encryption, which could happen as soon as 2030. 

France’s cybersecurity agency ANSSI said on Tuesday that it will stop certifying security products that lack quantum-resistant encryption to encourage businesses to create only quantum-safe products by 2030.

The US National Security Agency has also required all new national security systems to use its quantum-resistant algorithms starting Jan. 1, 2027, while nonquantum-resistant systems must be phased out by the end of 2030. 

Google has set a deadline for 2029 to be ready for the event due to rapid progress in quantum computing hardware and error correction.

Last month, Tezos launched a prototype blockchain for payments designed to resist quantum computing attacks, and stablecoin issuer Circle released a roadmap in April for its Arc blockchain to become quantum-ready.

California Institute of Technology researchers have also theorized that a functional quantum computer may require far fewer resources than previously believed, and one could be deployed before 2030.

Magazine: Nobody knows if quantum-secure cryptography will even work