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Quantum-safe Cryptography for Blockchain Security

A curated collection on how Shor's and Grover's algorithms threaten blockchain primitives, the research on replacing them, the NIST algorithms involved, and how protocols are planning migration.

34 topics•5 categories•Updated October 2026

Threat Models & Foundational Reports

7 entries

How Shor's and Grover's algorithms threaten blockchain signatures and hashing, and how urgent it is.

01Blockchain and Quantum Computing (MITRE)Rodenburg and Pappas on how Grover's and Shor's algorithms affect blockchain hashing and signatures. 02Towards Post-Quantum Blockchain (IEEE)Review of post-quantum cryptosystems and how they apply to blockchains and distributed ledgers. 03Committing to Quantum Resistance (Royal Society Open Science)Stewart et al. model the threat a quantum adversary poses to Bitcoin's ECDSA-signed transactions. 04Quantum Computers and the Bitcoin Blockchain (Deloitte)Deloitte's analysis of the impact quantum computers might have on Bitcoin. 05How Will Quantum Computing Affect Blockchain? (Consensys)Consensys cryptographer Amira Bouguera on quantum threats to blockchain. 06NISTIR 8202 – Blockchain Technology OverviewNIST overview of blockchain technology, including its cryptographic building blocks. 07Bitcoin WhitepaperOriginal Bitcoin paper, the baseline for the hash and signature assumptions discussed here.

Academic Research on Post-Quantum Blockchains

3 entries

Proposals for lattice-based and hash-based replacements.

08Bitcoin Security with Post Quantum Cryptography (Springer)Shows LWE and ring-LWE signatures as promising replacements for Bitcoin's signatures. 09Post-Quantum Blockchain over Lattice (CMC)Lattice-based transaction authentication that reduces key and signature size. 10Lattice-Based Proof-of-Work for Post-Quantum Blockchains (IACR ePrint)Proof-of-work based on the lattice shortest vector problem.

Standards & Algorithm Sources

8 entries

The NIST algorithms blockchains are likely to adopt.

11NIST Post-Quantum CryptographyNIST's standardisation of quantum-resistant algorithms. 12NIST Releases First 3 PQC Standards (2024)Announcement of FIPS 203, 204 and 205. 13FIPS 204 – ML-DSALattice-based digital signature standard. 14FIPS 205 – SLH-DSAHash-based signature standard, a conservative option for blockchains. 15SPHINCS+Stateless hash-based signature scheme standardised as SLH-DSA. 16FalconCompact lattice-based signatures, attractive where signature size matters. 17Open Quantum SafeOpen-source project for prototyping quantum-resistant cryptography. 18Post-Quantum Cryptography AllianceLinux Foundation alliance for open-source PQC software.

Blockchain Protocol & Industry Perspectives

10 entries

How protocols and communities are planning for quantum-safe migration.

19BIP 360 – Pay-to-Merkle-Root (Bitcoin)Bitcoin Improvement Proposal in the quantum-resistance discussion. 20Hard-Forking to Save Funds in a Quantum Emergency (Ethereum Research)Ethereum research discussion on recovering funds if quantum attacks emerge. 21Ethereum Improvement ProposalsWhere Ethereum protocol changes, including cryptography upgrades, are proposed. 22QRL – Quantum Resistant LedgerBlockchain built from the start with hash-based, quantum-resistant signatures. 23AlgorandBlockchain that has adopted Falcon-based post-quantum signatures in parts of its protocol. 24CardanoBlockchain platform with research on post-quantum cryptography. 25LF Decentralized TrustLinux Foundation home of Hyperledger and other enterprise blockchain projects. 26SandboxAQCompany offering cryptographic discovery and PQC migration tooling. 27Reserve Bank of IndiaIndia's central bank, which runs the digital rupee programme. 28National Quantum Mission (India)India's mission on quantum computing, communication and sensing.

Related Pages

6 entries

Related blockchain directories on this site.

29Blockchain ToolsDevelopment, security, wallet and infrastructure tools. 30Blockchain Programming LanguagesLanguages for smart contracts and blockchain development. 31Blockchain CompaniesBlockchain and crypto companies, exchanges and infrastructure firms. 32Blockchain DatabasesLedger databases and decentralized storage. 33Blockchain for IoTResearch and projects combining blockchain with IoT. 34CryptographyCryptography resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does quantum computing threaten blockchains?

Shor's algorithm could derive private keys from public keys for ECDSA, endangering funds at exposed addresses, while Grover's algorithm only gives a quadratic speed-up against hashing and so mostly affects mining and hash lengths.

Is Bitcoin at risk today?

No quantum computer today can break ECDSA, but coins whose public keys are exposed are the first to be at risk, and migration of a decentralised network takes years, so planning has started.

Which signatures could replace ECDSA?

NIST-standardised ML-DSA (lattice-based), SLH-DSA (hash-based) and Falcon are leading candidates, each with larger keys or signatures than ECDSA.

Are there quantum-resistant blockchains already?

QRL was designed around hash-based signatures from the start, and other networks such as Algorand use Falcon in parts of their protocol.

Where can I read more on blockchains?

See the Blockchain Platforms, Tools and Resources pages, and the Post-Quantum Cryptography page on this site.