A blockchain network designed to withstand the cryptographic threats posed by quantum computers has gone live. Naoris Protocol launched its mainnet on Thursday, describing the network as one built with post-quantum cryptography from its foundation, using algorithms formally approved by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology. The launch places Naoris among a growing number of projects exploring how distributed ledger systems can remain secure if quantum computing advances to the point of breaking current protections.
The concern driving these efforts is sometimes called Q-Day, the theoretical moment when quantum computers become powerful enough to defeat the cryptographic systems that most blockchains depend on today. Networks such as Bitcoin and Ethereum currently secure transactions using public-key signature schemes, including the elliptic curve digital signature algorithm, which relies on mathematical problems that conventional computers cannot practically solve. Researchers have cautioned that a sufficiently capable quantum machine could use Shor’s algorithm to derive private keys from publicly visible keys, potentially allowing attackers to seize control of wallets.
Naoris Protocol’s chief growth officer, Nathaniel Szerezla, said the project made a deliberate choice to implement the finalized federal standard rather than earlier experimental versions of the underlying algorithm. He drew a firm distinction between CRYSTALS-Dilithium and ML-DSA, the NIST-standardized form of that algorithm published as FIPS 204 in August 2024. Szerezla said many blockchain projects treat the two labels as interchangeable, whereas Naoris treats the boundary between them as a hard technical requirement.
The broader blockchain industry is actively debating how to carry out such transitions on existing networks. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin outlined a plan in February to replace several cryptographic components of the protocol, including BLS and ECDSA signatures, with quantum-resistant alternatives. Bitcoin developers are pursuing a parallel effort through BIP 360, a proposal that would reduce public key exposure in transactions by introducing a new output type called Pay-to-Merkle-Root and laying groundwork for post-quantum signature schemes in future soft forks.
A particular concern for all public blockchains is that transaction histories are permanent and openly visible, meaning cryptographic signatures attached to past transactions remain accessible indefinitely. If quantum computers eventually reach the necessary scale, attackers could mine that historical data to recover private keys from previously exposed signatures. Szerezla said Naoris addresses this by enforcing an irreversible transition once an account adopts a post-quantum key, requiring all subsequent transactions from that account to carry a valid ML-DSA signature and rejecting any that do not.
Prior to the mainnet launch, Naoris reported that its test network processed more than 106 million post-quantum transactions and detected more than 603 million security threats, though these figures have not been independently verified by outside parties. The network currently operates with a limited group of validator operators as the project works to expand participation over time. Naoris acknowledged that it cannot retroactively protect assets already held on classical blockchains.
Szerezla said users who want protection would need to move their assets onto the Naoris network directly. Assets transferred to Naoris would become quantum-secure, while those remaining on classical chains would stay exposed to potential future attacks. He added that migrating earlier reduces the window of vulnerability for any given user.
Originally reported by Decrypt.
