The digital asset industry is taking its first serious steps toward the post-quantum era. Responsible Fintech Institute (RFI) and Safeheron have announced a large-scale cross-regional pilot project that will test post-quantum cryptography for digital asset transactions. Representatives from the banking sector and regulators from various jurisdictions have already joined the initiative.
The main goal of the pilot is the empirical verification of quantum-resistant infrastructure: from wallet generation to real on-chain transfers. Safeheron acts as the technology partner, providing the cryptographic foundation, while RFI coordinates participants and manages cross-jurisdictional interaction.
Technological Foundation and Test Environment
The solution is based on a 2-of-2 MPC protocol with support for ML-DSA-65 — a digital signature standard that complies with the NIST FIPS 204 specification. This is one of the most mature post-quantum algorithms, and its selection appears quite justified. Testing will take place in the quantum-resistant NEAR testnet, allowing for an assessment not only of basic functionality but also of cross-border compatibility, operational resilience, and compliance with governance requirements.
Among the project participants are regulators from Abu Dhabi Global Market, the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan, and the Malta Financial Services Authority. On the banking side, Bison Bank and DK Bank have joined the pilot. In the first phase, government entities will act as observers, while in the second phase, they will actively engage in governance matters and the development of standards.
Following the testing, the authors plan to publish a white paper with a detailed description of the protocol design and the results obtained. Moreover, they intend to open the source code of the underlying technology for independent audit, which will be an important step toward widespread adoption.
The RFI and Safeheron initiative is not just a technical experiment but an attempt to prepare critical financial infrastructure in advance for a scenario in which classical cryptography becomes vulnerable. The project aims to demonstrate how post-quantum solutions behave in real-world models of regulated financial organizations.
It is worth recalling that in August, the crypto bank Anchorage Digital already presented its own strategy for protecting institutional assets from quantum threats, confirming the growing industry consensus on the need to act proactively.
My comment: This pilot is a landmark event. The regulators currently joining the testing are shaping future security standards. If the project proves successful, we may see an accelerated transition to post-quantum standards not only in the crypto industry but also in traditional banking. The question is not whether a quantum computer will break encryption, but when it will happen and whether we are ready for that moment.