Like most blockchains today, Aptos is not post-quantum (PQ) secure yet. That’s fine for now, since practical quantum computers still seem far off. But it’s good to be prepared.
The good news? Aptos is upgradeable, so making it PQ-secure is very doable with a few protocol updates.
What would need to change?
- Consensus signatures (BLS) can be replaced with PQ-safe alternatives. Ethereum has done solid work in this space.
- New PQ-secure signature schemes can be added to protect new users. The best option here is still an open question.
- Ed25519 signatures can be made PQ-safe thanks to their hash-based key structure.
- ZK proofs (used for key rotation, etc.) can be switched to PQ zkSNARKs.
- Randomness (VRF/DKG) will require post-quantum alternatives, which are emerging from ongoing research.
- ECDSA accounts are more vulnerable. They’ll need to be manually rotated by users once a real quantum threat appears.
TL;DR:
Aptos has all the right properties to become PQ-secure with reasonable effort. The tech is catching up, and once quantum is real, the chain can adapt quickly — as long as users and devs are ready.
Full breakdown here: