The digital asset industry is taking its first serious steps toward the post-quantum era. Responsible Fintech Institute (RFI) and Safeheron have announced the launch of a cross-regional pilot project that will test post-quantum cryptography for conducting transactions with digital assets. Representatives from the banking sector and regulators from several jurisdictions have already joined the initiative.
The key goal of the pilot is to verify how well quantum-resistant infrastructure can handle wallet generation and digital asset transfers in real-world conditions. Safeheron serves as the technology partner, while RFI takes on the coordination of participants, management, and ensuring cross-jurisdictional interaction.
Technical Foundation and Testing Scope
The project is based on a 2-of-2 MPC protocol that supports the ML-DSA-65 digital signature standard (NIST FIPS 204). The researchers intend to test wallet generation and on-chain transfers in the quantum-resistant NEAR testnet. In addition to basic functionality, checks for cross-border compatibility, operational resilience, and compliance with governance requirements are planned.
The list of participants is impressive: regulators from Abu Dhabi Global Market, the Financial Services Authority of Gelephu (Bhutan), and the Malta Financial Services Authority have joined the project, along with Bison Bank and DK Bank. In the first phase, government bodies will act as observers, and in the next phase, they will become involved in governance matters.
Based on the testing results, the authors plan to release a white paper describing the research, protocol design, and findings. They then intend to open-source the underlying technology for independent audit and further industry use.
Why This Matters
The launch of the pilot is not just a technical experiment. It is a signal that critical financial infrastructure must be prepared for the transition to post-quantum cryptography in advance, rather than when quantum computers become a real threat. The project aims to demonstrate how such solutions perform in the models of regulated financial organizations, which is critically important for scaling.
Earlier, the crypto bank Anchorage Digital already presented a strategy for preparing institutional assets for the post-quantum era, confirming a growing trend in the industry.
My view: this pilot is a timely and strategically important step. The quantum threat problem is often perceived as distant, but infrastructure changes take years. Testing in a regulated environment with the participation of banks and regulators is the only way to develop standards that will be viable in practice. Opening the source code after testing is a particularly strong move that could accelerate the adoption of post-quantum solutions across the entire industry.