The XRP Ledger's proposed quantum protection would let account owners install a quantum-resistant signing key and then disable the original key. Disabling the original key would block the attack route that the original key would otherwise leave available. The design appears in the XRP Ledger Foundation's quantum study and forms part of the Foundation's 2027 protocol roadmap, revised on November 4.
An account exposes a public key whenever the account signs a transaction, allowing the network to verify authorization. A sufficiently powerful quantum computer could derive the account's controlling secret from that public key. Every account that has sent a payment has disclosed that public key, including every exchange wallet.
The proposed signing key uses ML-DSA-44, a signature scheme approved in 2024 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology specifically to resist quantum attacks. The combined key and signature occupy 3,732 bytes, versus 105 bytes for a regular payment. Each protected transaction would therefore add about 3.6 KB. The Foundation estimates storage requirements, including transaction history and database overhead, at 5,331 bytes per protected payment, compared with a baseline of 1,704 bytes.
The proposal would maintain the existing base fee rather than charge users for the additional storage. XRP Ledger transaction fees are destroyed, leaving network operators to absorb the additional storage requirements.
Developers are addressing an inconsistency that can produce different keys from the same starting seed in the Python prototype and the server and JavaScript implementations. Developers have not yet published performance tests with every network validator using the proposed signatures. Validators are the computers that reach agreement on the ledger's history.
The roadmap allocates $215,000 to $255,000 for the amendment's review and auditing. The roadmap also assigns 640 development hours to the amendment. The budget for all 24 roadmap amendments ranges from about $5 million to nearly $6 million.
Ripple aims to complete a quantum transition by 2028. The Foundation schedules the migration study for the first half of 2027. Development and auditing would follow in late 2027 or 2028.
XRP Ledger to Implement Quantum-Resistant Keys by 2028
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Summary
The XRP Ledger Foundation has added a quantum-resistant key protocol update to its 2027 roadmap, requiring users to switch to ML-DSA-44 signing keys. The plan, updated on November 4, aims to block quantum attacks via outdated keys. Each secured transaction will add 3.6 KB in storage, with no extra fees. A $215,000 to $255,000 budget and 640 development hours are set aside. A migration study will begin in early 2027, with full rollout by 2028. This AI + crypto news marks a key step in the ledger’s security evolution.
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