Preparing for the post-quantum era in advance, Circle's white paper reviews the risks of signature verification, smart contracts, and network communication, adjusting the transition pace based on ecosystem readiness and regulatory trends—practical.

Wu Shuo learned that the official Arc team issued a statement stating that Circle released a post-quantum security white paper, proposing a phased security roadmap for Arc, USDC, smart contracts, validators, and infrastructure systems. The white paper states that quantum computing may pose long-term risks to blockchain signatures, validator keys, smart contracts, and network communication. Circle plans to support SLH-DSA signature verification in Arc and allow USDC smart contracts to continue supporting ECDSA interactions during the transition period, while enabling post-quantum signatures. Circle indicated that the final switch timing will depend on ecosystem readiness, regulatory requirements, and quantum risk assessments, and the related roadmap may still be adjusted.