Ripple Prepares XRP Ledger for Quantum Computing Risks with Four-Phase Plan

Ripple has announced a four-phase plan to make its XRP Ledger quantum-proof by 2028, in response to research suggesting that many blockchain cryptographic foundations could be cracked faster than previously assumed.

The urgency stems from Google's Quantum AI team finding that just 500,000 physical qubits could break elliptic curve cryptography, which keeps private keys private across most blockchains. A sufficiently powerful quantum computer could derive a private key from an exposed public key in roughly nine minutes at this threshold.

Ripple's roadmap starts with 'Phase 1: Q-Day readiness', essentially an emergency contingency plan to rapidly migrate accounts to quantum-safe alternatives if credible threats materialize before the full upgrade is complete. Phase 2, already underway during the first half of 2026, involves testing NIST-standard post-quantum algorithms and benchmarking performance.

The later phases aim to introduce a formal XRPL amendment for native post-quantum support and achieve full quantum readiness by 2028. Testnet deployments are expected throughout mid-2026, with Ripple promising continuous updates as the work progresses.