Sui Prepares Quantum-Resistant Accounts as NIST Sets 2030 Cryptography Deprecation

Sui, an emerging blockchain project, is taking proactive measures to safeguard its users against potential quantum threats. To achieve this, Sui has developed two new post-quantum signature schemes: ML-DSA-65 and SLH-DSA-SHA2-128s.

The former will be implemented for native accounts, while the latter will be used for smart contract vaults holding high-value assets. These signatures are based on National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) approved schemes.

What sets Sui apart from other projects is its seamless upgrade path. Users can opt-in to this new security measure without changing their addresses or moving assets, reducing user friction and cost. This is made possible by the use of Address Aliases, which allow updating authorization keys to post-quantum while holding addresses and assets in place.

The transition to these new signature schemes will be completed by Q1 2027, with ML-DSA-65 accounts entering testnet by year-end. Sui's move comes as the NIST has proposed a quantum transition timeline that recommends deprecating traditional cryptography by 2030 and disallowing it by 2035 in favor of quantum-resistant signatures.