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The XRP Ledger Foundation has outlined a proposal to introduce quantum-resistant security for user accounts without increasing the network's standard transaction fees. The initiative is part of a broader effort to prepare the blockchain for potential threats from advanced quantum computers, with a full transition targeted by 2028.
According to the Foundation's updated 2027 protocol roadmap, account holders could add a new quantum-resistant signing key and disable their existing one. This would help protect accounts against future attacks that could exploit weaknesses in conventional cryptographic systems.
The proposed upgrade uses ML-DSA-44, a digital signature algorithm approved by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 2024. It is designed to withstand attacks from sufficiently powerful quantum computers.
Currently, the XRP Ledger supports cryptographic methods such as secp256k1 and Ed25519. When an account signs a transaction, its public key becomes visible on the blockchain. A sufficiently advanced quantum computer could potentially use this information to derive the corresponding private key and gain control of an account.
Under the proposed system, users would be able to introduce an ML-DSA-44 key and deactivate their older signing credentials. This would provide an additional layer of protection without requiring account holders to change their existing XRP Ledger addresses.
However, the new cryptographic signatures are considerably larger than conventional ones. The proposed key and signature combination requires 3,732 bytes, compared with 105 bytes for a regular transaction.
Despite the additional storage requirements, the Foundation plans to retain existing base transaction fees. The extra storage burden would instead fall on network operators.
Also Read: How DeFi Lending Works on XRP Ledger: Protocols, Vaults and Borrowing
The Foundation has scheduled a migration study for the first half of 2027, followed by development and security audits later that year or in 2028. Some technical issues, including differences between software implementations and validator performance testing, still need to be addressed. Ripple first outlined its broader post-quantum security roadmap in April 2026, identifying 2028 as its target for a full transition.