Ripple Unveils Quantum Resistance Roadmap Aiming for Quantum-Resistant XRP Ledger by 2028

On April 21, Ripple officially announced its quantum resistance roadmap, with the core objective of achieving quantum resistance for the XRP Ledger (XRPL) by 2028. The roadmap primarily addresses the potential attack model of ‘Harvest now, decrypt later,’ where attackers collect encrypted data now and wait for future quantum computers to mature before decrypting it. The entire plan will be implemented in four phases: Phase 1: Q-Day Emergency Preparedness (already initiated). Establish a Q-Day emergency response mechanism. If the existing classical encryption system is suddenly breached, the network will immediately stop accepting traditional public key signatures and force migration to quantum-safe accounts. At the same time, explore asset ownership verification solutions based on Post-Quantum Zero-Knowledge Proofs, allowing existing account holders to securely recover funds in emergencies without exposing vulnerable keys. Phase 2: Risk Assessment and Algorithm Testing (first half of 2026). Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the impact of post-quantum cryptography on the performance, storage, and bandwidth of the XRP Ledger network. Collaborate with Project Eleven to conduct validator-level testing and Devnet benchmarking, deploy NIST standardized ML-DSA quantum-safe signature schemes, and develop prototypes for post-quantum custodial wallets. Core engineer Denis Angell has already deployed the ML-DSA signature on XRPL’s AlphaNet. Phase 3: Devnet Mixed Integration (second half of 2026). Integrate candidate post-quantum signature schemes in parallel with existing elliptic curve signatures on the developer network (Devnet), allowing developers to test performance and system impacts without affecting the mainnet. At the same time, explore post-quantum zero-knowledge proof primitives and homomorphic encryption technologies for Confidential Transfers to enhance the privacy and compliance capabilities of tokenized real-world assets on XRPL. Phase 4: Full Mainnet Upgrade (targeting 2028). Submit a formal protocol amendment, and after approval through validator voting, fully enable native post-quantum cryptography on the mainnet. The focus will be on production-ready optimization: throughput tuning, ensuring validator reliability, and coordinating ecosystem migration to ensure a complete transition without affecting network speed and settlement finality.