SUI Research has introduced a cryptographic framework that can provide protection against quantum computing threats without the need for hard forks, address changes, or key updates.
Cryptographer Kostas Chalkias wrote in X post Monday that his recent research paper, which he co-authored with the SUI study, constituted “a major breakthrough in the quantum transition of “part” blockchains.” He explained that the new approach applies to SUI, Solana, Near, Cosmos and other networks, but not to Ethereum or Bitcoin.
“As far as I know, this is the first backward compatible quantum safe upgrade path for blockchain wallets to avoid future forks and frozen accounts,” says Chalkias.
Unstoppable wallet researcher Dan Dadaibayo told Cointelegraph the paper was “one of the most important cryptographic breakthroughs I’ve seen in recent years.” He explained that it allows for quantum-safe wallet upgrades without the need for addressing, re-signing or hard fork changes.
Hard fork is a permanent change in the protocol of a blockchain. This is not backwards compatibility. This means that nodes running old software cannot validate blocks created with the new rules.
Hard forks can be controversial and can result in two separate networks if not fully adopted by network maintainers. Notable examples include Bitcoin (BTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH), as well as Ether (ETH) and Ethereum Classic (ETC).
1 IBM Quantum System, Ehningen, Germany. sauce: Wikimedia
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The imminent threat of quantum
Chalkias said he suspects “we are in a place close to quantum advantage that can quickly break encryption,” but the threat is perceived as a reality by many experts.
As quantum computers become able to break the encryption that underpins blockchains, developers are looking for solutions with increasing urgency.
With Bitcoin, there is an increasing number of community debates. In an interview with Cointelegraph in mid-April, early Cypherpunk Adam Back, cited by Nakamoto at in a Bitcoin whitepaper, suggested that quantum computing pressure could reveal whether blockchain pseudonym creators are alive.
Buck explained that Quantum Computing could make the bitcoin held by Satoshi stolen, which could be vulnerable to the stolen, and forced him to move him to a new address to avoid losing access to the coin. The Bitcoin community could be forced to decide whether to freeze addresses vulnerable to quantum computing attacks when these attacks become practical. Added by Chalkias:
“When quantum computers arrive, millions of wallets, including Satoshi, can be immediately ejected. When you see the public key, it will eventually break.”
Related: According to CEO Naoris, the Bitcoin quantum countdown has already begun
How this innovation changes the equation
Most solutions for quantum computing threats include changing keys to new keys based on post-Quantum encryption and deep reworking of network-based software. Instead, the newly proposed solution allows you to perform a Quantum-Safe wallet upgrade, re-sign or require a hard fork without changing the address.
The breakthrough focuses on chains using Edwards-Curve Digital Signature Algorithm or EDDSA.
Dadybayo said, “This is possible because it deterministically derives SUI, SOLANA, and nearby private keys with zero recognition proofs, and deterministically derives from seeds that can also approve secure transitions in dormant mental accounts.” Zero knowledge proof allows users to prove that they know the seeds that the key is derived without revealing the key.
Tomer Ashur, director of science at 3MI Labs, encryption research firm, told Cointelegraph that the approach “can hide certain data that quantum enemies need to attack a scheme.” He added:
“As opposed to replacing EDDSA, what this approach does is to bolster the algorithm against quantum attacks.”
The chain can accept this zero-knowledge proof as a new key in the network, as permission to accept the public key after Quantum. This avoids the need for a new account ID (the public key of the old EDDSA will still be used), re-signing old transactions, or hard forks.
Most importantly, dormant mouth accounts are covered. In other words, there is no heated debate as to whether Nakamoto Sato’s Bitcoin will be frozen in the future if Bitcoin used eddsa signatures from its founding.
Robert Roose, founder of Cardano Interoperability Protocol Mynth, admitted that this is a major development if the paper is correct. “A warning about the IF,” he added.
magazine: Bitcoin vs. Quantum Computer Threats: Timelines and Solutions (2025–2035)