Cardano’s founder discusses post-quantum security strategies in the wake of Microsoft’s chip milestone
Charles Hoskinson, the founder of Cardano, has laid out a plan to secure its network in a world post-quantum.
In a broadcast on February 20, he stressed the importance of adapting Blockchain systems to quantum computing.
Hoskinson’s comments come as he praises Microsoft’s Majorana 1 quantum chip. Cardano founder says the technology is one the most important advances in quantum computer history
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella described the chip as small enough to fit in the palm of a hand yet capable of solving problems beyond the reach of all the world’s current computers.
Cardano’s plan for Quantum security
Hoskinson has stated that this network will implement a proof chain which functions as a verification layer independent to prepare the technology.
The additional security measure uses advanced cryptographic techniques including Mithril Certificates and Post-Quantum Signatures to maintain the integrity past transactions.
Hoskinson pointed out that the solutions are not without their trade-offs. These include slower processing speeds and higher data requirements.
He pointed out, however, that the long-term goal is to incorporate the proof chain in the main blockchain and transition from traditional elliptic curvature cryptography to alternatives which are quantum-resistant.
Researchers are also exploring other ledger models than the standard UTXO model to improve security and scalability.
Challenges and roadmap
Quantum computing could potentially surpass cryptographic standards by the end of this decade.
Despite its urgency, the post-quantum encryption is still at a developmental stage. It has multiple competing approaches such as lattice and hash-based cryptography. Cardano, in collaboration with industry experts, will allocate significant research resources and collaborate with them to stay ahead of the challenges.
Hoskinson said that the Cardano ecosystem would not make any significant changes until there is a consensus amongst all stakeholders.
He said that quantum-resistant features, starting with the proof-chain, could be implemented within the next few year, but the full adoption of post-quantum measures will take longer. In the future, the research effort will be the priority to ensure that the network is resilient.
