๐จ BREAKING: Sui Research just dropped a major breakthrough in quantum transition of "some" blockchains. Unfortunately it works for Sui, Solana, Near, Cosmos and other EdDSA-based chains, but not for Bitcoin and Ethereum ๐ข
Here is the paper: https://t.co/UixfsQz7wz
*Afaik this is the first backward compatible quantum-safe upgrade path for blockchain wallets to avoid future forks or freezing accounts.
...and why thatโs huge ๐งต๐
๐ Thereโs a non-zero chance that todayโs wallets could become vulnerable to quantum adversaries in the coming decades.
While I personally doubt weโre anywhere near quantum supremacy that can break cryptography soon, the growing concerns, and new guidance from security agencies recommending algorithm upgrades by 2035, should serve as a wake-up call. Even if much of this is perception-driven, our community must be prepared to eventually transition.
Once quantum computers arrive, millions of wallets, including Satoshiโs, could be drained instantly. If your public key is visible, it will eventually be cracked.
Lost keys, deceased owners, cold storage... all at risk (these will be the first victims).
Billions in crypto sit in โsleepingโ wallets that may never be updated or transfer their assets out.
๐ก Our solution:
We found a way for wallets using EdDSA (e.g., Sui, Solana, Near and co) to prove ownership securely after quantum, without revealing secrets or touching the wallet to quickly transfer their coins. Surprisingly a small detail on how EdDSA private keys are derived compared to ECDSA makes a huge difference on quantum readiness. TL;DR a simple hash invocation over a seed and not directly picking elliptic curve scalars as private keys saved the game!
๐ No re-signing. No address change. Zero downtime.
Just a zero knowledge proof that says: โI still control this wallet, but now signing protected against quantum hackers"
๐ Built on Ed25519 key derivation (SLIP-0010) and zk-STARKs / Ligero
๐ก๏ธ Works for sleeping and lost accounts, multisigs, treasuries, and cold storage
๐ Protects real users & institutions, not just future chains, but your todayโs mnemonic based wallets too
๐จโ๐ฌ Developed by @SuiNetwork, @Mysten_Labs and @GeorgeMasonU applied and theoretical cryptographers, congrats to Foteini and Arnab whose help was paramount!
*Weโre already in contact with the teams behind @ligero_inc and @SoundnessLabs, but weโll also approach governments and major organizations like Google (which has already begun exploring Ligero ZK proofs) to pursue an implementation, and if possible, make it a global standard.
Maybe those who chose Ed25519 over ECDSA were lucky or just smart. Personally, I want to thank one of my first crypto instructors, Daniel Bernstein (@hashbreaker) the inventor of EdDSA, who taught at the EU ECRYPT summer school in Samos back in 2007. He planted a spark that made me obsess over every detail of the algorithm and maybe without that, I wouldn't be here today as a scientist.