$NEAR Prepares for Quantum Era with Post-Hoc Security Model Upgrade

Near ($NEAR) is preparing for a post-quantum future by rebuilding its security model, targeting completion by the end of 2027. The project began in Q2 2026, with the initial modification including ML-DSA (Dilithium) to the protocol.

This upgrade allows users to store and grant permission to their assets using quantum-safe keys, which also extends protection to assets issued on other blockchains through Chain Signatures and $NEAR intents. The Meteor Wallet already supports this solution, with Ledger and other wallet developers integrating it.

Near One is exploring FN-DSA (Falcon), a smaller lattice signature algorithm, but has decided to wait before implementing it. However, post-quantum signatures require significantly more space than classical solutions, leading to increased expenses.