Abu Dhabi Joins Cross-Jurisdictional Post-Quantum Cryptography Pilot
A cross-regional pilot testing post-quantum cryptography for digital asset transfers has launched in Abu Dhabi's ADGM, alongside regulators in Bhutan and Malta.
The initiative was launched by the Responsible Fintech Institute (RFI) and Safeheron, with banks including Portugal's Bison Bank and DK Bank participating. The pilot uses a multi-party computation (MPC) protocol built around ML-DSA-65, a digital signature standard set out in NIST FIPS 204.
The participants are testing wallet generation and on-chain transfers on the quantum-resistant NEAR testnet, with regulators taking an observer role in the first phase before moving into a governance workstream. A whitepaper covering the research, protocol design, and test findings is planned, along with open-sourced protocol code from Safeheron.
No single entity can solve post-quantum cryptography alone, said Chia Hock Lai, chairman of RFI, noting that by working together, they are building a compliance and security reference for the industry to stand on. Jag Foo, Safeheron's chief security and policy officer, emphasized the importance of transparency and open scrutiny.