Post-Quantum Cryptography and Blockchain: Where the Industry Stands

Hedera faces a post-quantum upgrade path as quantum computers threaten current signatures (ECDSA, Ed25519). While hashes (SHA-384) and AES-256 are already post-quantum-friendly, Hedera must migrate network and user keys to post-quantum signatures. The article notes Hedera already uses post-quantum primitives for hashes and transport, but no PQC signatures yet. Key milestones include NIST PQC standards finalized in 2024 and a gradual migration plan: upgrade node event signing first, then user keys and wallets. Expect larger signature sizes (up to ~29,792 bytes for some schemes) impacting throughput and costs.