Solana Tests Quantum-Resistant Crypto as Aptos Proposes New Signatures

The Solana Foundation’s collaboration with post-quantum security firm Project Eleven marks a significant step in blockchain quantum readiness. According to the Foundation’s announcement, the partnership involved a comprehensive threat assessment of Solana’s cryptographic systems, evaluating their resilience against potential future quantum computers. This assessment directly informed the deployment of a dedicated testnet using post-quantum digital signatures, designed to evaluate whether quantum-resistant transactions could function at the network layer without disrupting performance using current technology.

Matt Sorg, Vice President of Technology at the Solana Foundation, emphasized the long-term perspective driving these efforts. “Our responsibility is to ensure Solana remains secure not just today, but decades into the future,” Sorg stated. This initiative builds upon earlier quantum-risk mitigation by Solana developers, notably January’s introduction of the Solana Winternitz Vault. That optional wallet feature employs a hash-based signature scheme to protect individual user funds by generating new cryptographic keys for each transaction, requiring explicit user opt-in rather than protocol-wide changes.

Sorg framed these developments within Solana’s broader technical roadmap, noting that “the Solana ecosystem’s culture of shipping will continue with the release of a second client and state-of-the-art consensus mechanism this year.” He characterized Project Eleven’s work as “early, concrete steps to strengthen the network and stay at the forefront, ensuring Solana’s resiliency long-term.” This approach reflects a strategic balance between maintaining current network efficiency and preparing for distant but potentially existential threats.

Parallel to Solana’s testnet, the Aptos ecosystem is pursuing quantum readiness through governance. Proposal AIP-137, if approved by token holders, would introduce the network’s first post-quantum signature option: SLH-DSA (Stateless, Hash-Based Digital Signature Algorithm). This scheme was standardized by researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and represents a cautious, opt-in strategy for the Aptos network.

According to Aptos Labs, the proposal is designed for minimal disruption. The current default signature scheme, Ed25519, used for transaction authentication, would remain unchanged. SLH-DSA would be offered as an optional account type, allowing users who desire post-quantum protections to migrate voluntarily without requiring a network-wide upgrade or migration. A key technical advantage noted by Aptos Labs is that SLH-DSA relies on SHA-256, a hash function already extensively used across the network, thereby limiting the introduction of new and unproven cryptographic assumptions.

However, this enhanced security comes with a tradeoff in efficiency. The post-quantum signatures are larger and take longer to verify than current standards, which could increase network load if adoption becomes widespread. Aptos Labs has framed AIP-137, which was thoroughly researched and drafted by the company’s Head of Cryptography, Alin Tomescu, as a long-term preparation. The goal is to empower the Aptos network “to better respond to future developments in quantum computing–all while remaining in the driver’s seat, rather than under time pressure or technological surprise.”

The moves by Solana and Aptos occur within a broader industry conversation about quantum computing’s implications for blockchain security. The core threat stems from the potential for sufficiently powerful quantum machines to solve mathematical problems that underpin current cryptography, potentially allowing attackers to derive private keys from public keys and forge digital signatures. Developers across major networks including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Zcash (ZEC) are actively discussing how their respective protocols might address these future risks.

Despite the proactive preparations, prominent voices in the cryptography space urge perspective on the timeline. Adam Back, co-founder of Blockstream and a respected cryptographer, commented on the discourse, writing, “I think the risks are nil in the short term. This whole thing is decades away.” He elaborated that the development of practical, large-scale quantum computers capable of breaking current cryptography faces “massive R&D challenges across every area of the applied physics required.” Nonetheless, Back concluded, “it’s reasonable to be quantum-ready,” validating the precautionary principle guiding current blockchain initiatives.

This sentiment aligns with the stated positions of both the Solana Foundation and Aptos Labs, which characterize their work as forward-looking preparation rather than a reaction to an imminent threat. The industry’s current phase appears focused on research, testing optional solutions, and establishing flexible frameworks—like Aptos’s governance proposal—that can evolve alongside the slow but steady progress in quantum computing. The collective effort aims to ensure that networks like Solana and Aptos, along with Bitcoin and Ethereum, maintain their security guarantees not just for the next bull market, but for the next technological epoch.