Solana Explores Quantum-Resistant Transactions Through Project Eleven Pilot

The Solana Foundation has partnered with Project Eleven, a company focused on post-quantum crypto security, to bolster Solana's defenses against the potential threats posed by quantum computing.

Key Takeaways

The Solana Foundation is working with Project Eleven to evaluate and enhance security against quantum computing threats.
Project Eleven completed a threat assessment and created a testnet to demonstrate quantum-resistant transactions.
Notably, the experimental testnet showed that end-to-end quantum-resistant transactions are feasible and scalable.
U.S. NIST endorsed three post-quantum encryption standards (FIPS 203, 204, and 205) to enhance digital security.
Experts differ on the timeline for quantum threats to current cryptographic standards, with some predicting significant risks by 2030, while others believe we have decades before it becomes a pressing concern.

Solana tests quantum-resistant transactions in new Project Eleven pilot

Strengthening Against Future Threats

On Tuesday, the Solana Foundation announced that Project Eleven conducted a comprehensive quantum computing threat assessment. They successfully built a functioning Solana testnet that uses post-quantum digital signatures. According to their announcement, this testnet demonstrates that “end-to-end quantum-resistant transactions are practical and scalable.”

This assertion is significant because post-quantum cryptography is expected to be much more computationally demanding than traditional cryptographic methods. Currently, Solana has not responded to inquiries from Cointelegraph about which specific post-quantum encryption standard is being utilized in this testnet.

In August 2024, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) approved three post-quantum encryption standards: Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 203, 204, and 205. A comparative study conducted by internet infrastructure leader Cloudflare found that FIPS 204 was nearly five times more expensive to sign than Ed25519 (the signature standard used by Solana) but twice as fast in verification. In contrast, RSA-2048 was observed to be slower to sign than both and marginally faster to verify than FIPS 204.

Solana testnet and post-quantum encryption standards _Source:_Solana Foundation

Preparing for Potential Threats

Matt Sorg, vice president of technology at the Solana Foundation, remarked that the organization's “mission is to protect the world’s digital assets from quantum risk.” This goal resonates across nearly all major cryptocurrency networks as they prepare for potential future threats.

Recent comments from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin indicated a 20% likelihood that quantum computers may break existing cryptographic frameworks before 2030. Nevertheless, not all experts agree with this assessment. Cryptographer Adam Back, noted for his role in the Bitcoin white paper, believes that Bitcoin is unlikely to encounter quantum threats for another 20 to 40 years.

Furthermore, Ethereum's agile development environment allows for rapid adaptations to emerging challenges. Conversely, Bitcoin may face more impediments. In late November, James Check, founder and lead analyst at Bitcoin on-chain analysis service Checkonchain, argued that while the technical aspects of quantum resistance are mostly resolved, Bitcoin's governance model may struggle to address related issues effectively. He stated, “there is no chance we come to consensus to freeze” any Bitcoin that remains on non-quantum-resistant addresses. This could lead to a substantial amount of Bitcoin becoming compromised and flooding the market if measures aren’t taken to transition affected accounts.