The digital asset industry is entering a new phase of preparation for the era of quantum computing. The Responsible Fintech Institute, together with cryptographic storage provider Safeheron, has initiated an international pilot project aimed at testing the resilience of digital operations against attacks using quantum computers. Bison Bank and DK Bank have joined as participants, while regulatory bodies from Abu Dhabi, Bhutan, and Malta will initially act as observers, documenting the progress of the trials.
As part of the initiative, it is planned to test the creation of wallets and the execution of on-chain transactions on the NEAR test network. A key element will be the application of multi-party computation (MPC) technology combined with the post-quantum digital signature algorithm ML-DSA-65, developed by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This algorithm is considered one of the most promising candidates for protection against future quantum threats capable of breaking traditional cryptographic schemes, such as ECDSA, on which most blockchain networks are currently based.
Upon completion of the pilot phase, the organizers plan to publish a technical report with a detailed analysis of the results, and then open the protocol's source code. This step will allow the entire community to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed solutions and, if necessary, adapt them for commercial use.
Expert Assessment
This project is a timely signal for the entire industry. Although quantum computers capable of genuinely threatening existing blockchains are still in the development stage, infrastructural readiness must be established now. The participation of regulators from different jurisdictions underscores that the issue of quantum security extends beyond a purely technical problem and becomes an element of global financial stability. Opening the source code is a particularly important step that will help avoid "black boxes" in critical infrastructure and accelerate the adoption of post-quantum cryptography standards in the industry.