The XRP Ledger (XRPL) team has integrated “full protection” against the threat posed by quantum computers into the AlphaNet developer network. This was announced by Denis Angell, lead software engineer at XRPL Labs.
According to him, the update affected all key elements of the protocol’s architecture: accounts, consensus, and transactions.
Anticipating “Q Day”
In the blockchain community, opinions vary on when new computing technology will be able to break elliptic curve cryptography (ECC). Most networks, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, use such encryption methods. It is assumed that with the advancement of quantum computers, it will become possible to derive a private key from a public one using Shor’s algorithm.
For instance, Blockstream CEO and cypherpunk Adam Back believes that the so-called “Q Day” will arrive no sooner than in 20-40 years. Some of his opponents suggest a timeframe of up to two years. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin believes that ECC will become vulnerable by 2028.
Despite disagreements over the timing of the threat, most in the crypto community consider it necessary to develop and implement measures now. This view has been expressed by Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko and analyst Willy Woo. Back confirmed that Bitcoin developers are conducting relevant research.
In December, the Solana team began testing quantum-resistant transactions in partnership with Project Eleven.
Implementation for XRPL
According to Angell, XRPL developers integrated the CRYSTALS-Dilithium algorithm into AlphaNet to protect on-chain operations from hacking. This post-quantum digital signature method was previously approved by NIST.
However, the transition to secure solutions entails operational costs, as noted by CryptoSlate. While a standard ECDSA signature takes up 64 bytes, the Dilithium standard requires approximately 2420 bytes. This significant increase affects network throughput and imposes higher demands on validator hardware, requiring more data storage.
The pilot project implemented on AlphaNet is intended to help XRPL Labs engineers assess potential technical trade-offs for implementing quantum-resistant solutions in the main network.
Previously, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson suggested that implementing protection against new computing technologies would slow blockchains by a factor of ten.