Key facts
- The proposed signature system requires 3,732 bytes for public keys and signatures, raising transaction data requirements.
- With database overhead, each protected payment would use 5,331 bytes of storage against 1,704 bytes for a current payment.
- The Foundation plans to keep base network fees unchanged despite the extra storage the upgrade needs.
- The roadmap budgets between $215,000 and $255,000 for technical reviews and security audits, plus 640 development hours.
- Developers are working on inconsistencies in key generation between the Python, JavaScript and server versions of the proposed system.
- The Foundation has not published tests of complete validator performance for the proposed quantum-resistant signatures.
XRP Ledger proposed a quantum-resistant account upgrade on November 10, 2026 that would let account holders register quantum-resistant keys and disable their existing signatures. The proposal says users could adopt the new system without changing how they store or access their assets, and without paying higher transaction fees.
XRP Ledger transactions can expose public keys when users authorize payments through their wallets. The proposal states that exposed keys might in the future allow an account to be broken using advanced quantum computers and existing cryptographic techniques, and that the design aims to mitigate that risk before such attacks become practical on blockchain networks.
Developers selected ML-DSA-44, a digital signature standard the National Institute of Standards and Technology approved in 2024. The proposed system requires 3,732 bytes for public keys and signatures, and with database overhead each protected payment would use 5,331 bytes of storage, against 1,704 bytes for a current payment. The Foundation plans to keep base network fees the same despite the extra storage.
The roadmap sets a quantum migration study for the first half of 2027, with development continuing after that. Developers are working on inconsistencies in key generation between the Python, JavaScript and server versions of the proposed system. The roadmap budgets between $215,000 and $255,000 for technical reviews and security audits and 640 development hours. Tests of the complete performance of validators for the proposed signatures have not been published by the Foundation.
Separately, the XRP Ledger Batch amendment went live, allowing users to combine multiple transactions into one operation, and Ripple approved an XRP Ledger proposal covering sponsored transaction fees and reserves that lets another party cover certain account costs.