Algorand plans ‘broad quantum resilience’ by 2027
Cointelegraph 2026-06-19 05:51:24
Context: Algorand, a layer-1 blockchain, has released a plan to update its infrastructure by the end of 2027 to tackle the potential threat of quantum computing. The updates aim to give the network broad quantum resilience, a threat it has been researching and preparing for several years. This move is in response to growing concerns that quantum computers may soon break the encryption underpinning the ecosystem, putting billions of dollars worth of value at risk of exploitation.
Key Facts
- Algorand plans to update its network infrastructure by the end of 2027 to achieve broad quantum resilience, with new accounts and consensus mechanisms designed to be resistant to the cryptography-breaking threat of quantum computers.
- The updates will include new accounts based on Algorand's signature scheme, Falcon, designed with quantum-resistant cryptography, and a change in the consensus mechanism from its current cryptography, which is not quantum-resistant.
- Bruno Martins, Algorand Foundation technology chief, stated that governments, standards bodies, and security experts around the world are already preparing for a future where quantum computers may break many of the cryptographic systems that protect today's digital infrastructure.
- Quantum computers, a technology set to be vastly more powerful than today's supercomputers, may need fewer resources than previously estimated to break the cryptography protecting blockchains, according to a paper by Google researchers in March.
- The US National Security Agency has required all new national security systems to use its quantum-resistant algorithms starting January 1, 2027, while non-quantum-resistant systems must be phased out by the end of 2030, highlighting the growing concern among governments and businesses about the quantum threat to cryptography.