Aptos Proposes Post-Quantum Signature Upgrade to Address Future Quantum Risks

• The proposed AIP-137 introduces the first post-quantum signature scheme for Aptos.
• The proposal does not replace existing signature schemes as it does not mandate migration from the current Ed25519.

Quantum computing is edging ever closer; Bill Gates estimates quantum computers will be functional in five years, while Nvidia’s Jensen Huang gives it a 15-30 year timeline. The rapid advancements have sparked concerns in the crypto community, whose infrastructure relies on cryptography, as we have reported. Aptos is preparing for this future, with the latest improvement proposal outlining the network’s first post-quantum signature upgrade.

Dubbed AIP-137, the proposal introduces the first post-quantum signature scheme for Aptos, prioritizing ease of integration. The network believes that quantum computers could break its existing security models, making the proposed upgrade vital to its long-term survival.

While it remains an imminent threat, the timeline for quantum computing varies among experts. Some, like Gates and the Google Quantum AI team, believe it will be within the next five years. Others, like Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin, believe the threat is not immediate, but have advocated for blockchain networks to prepare in advance.

Quantum computing “may arrive in five years or fifty. Rather than betting on a specific timeline, this proposal ensures that Aptos has a post-quantum account option available before it is urgently needed,” the network says.

Aptos Prepares for a Post-Quantum World

AIP-137 proposes SLH-DSA-SHA2-128s as the network’s first signature scheme for the post-quantum world. Standardized by the US Department of Commerce, the hash-based scheme relies exclusively on SHA-256, the hash function upon which the Aptos network is built.

While the upgrade is vital to the network’s survival, Aptos intends to roll it out conservatively. Users can still rely on larger signatures and slower signing for simpler assumptions. The new scheme also fits into the current account and authentication models, making integration easy.

It added:

The conservative approach allows Aptos to rely solely on SHA-256, ensuring no new cryptographic schemes are introduced. This is the network’s way of avoiding security failures like Rainbow, a post-quantum digital signature that was once hailed as the new standard, but later failed under extreme stress.

Aptos joins Zcash, IOTA, and Ethereum in preparing for the quantum disruption. For users, the upgrade will translate to potential network congestion, with transaction signatures expected to be over 80x larger. Verification will also be slower, but still under a few hundred microseconds.

Aptos trades at $1.65, gaining 12.5% in the past day to break past $1.2 billion in market cap.