Ripple Races Ahead with Quantum-Resistant XRP Ledger Plan

Ripple has announced a four-phase plan to make the XRP Ledger quantum-resistant by 2028, beating Google's own target of 2029 for post-quantum cryptography.

The plan, outlined in a blog post by RippleX senior engineering director Ayo Akinyele, addresses the growing concern that quantum computing poses to blockchain cryptography.

Ripple's roadmap consists of four phases: establishing a 'Quantum-Day' contingency to block classical signatures and route holders to quantum-safe accounts if cryptography breaks unexpectedly; testing algorithms recommended by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in 2026; partnering with research firm Project Eleven on validator benchmarks and a custody wallet prototype; and proposing a native amendment to the ledger by 2028.

Akinyele highlighted the 'harvest now, decrypt later' risk, where attackers collect public-key data now and wait for quantum hardware to catch up, posing a concern for long-term holders.