Two tools for building post-quantum wallets compatible with Bitcoin and Ethereum were published on GitHub by Project Eleven on May 12 of this year. libqcTypeScript Development Kit, and Quantum Vault (quantum storage)a browser extension built on top of it.
This tool aims to predict potential dangers associated with quantum computers. Once they reach sufficient power, they could theoretically be able to break through the ECDSA (Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm) digital signature scheme that currently protects Bitcoin and Ethereum’s private keys.
If the public key remains on the network after a transaction, a quantum computer could potentially use it. Derive the private key and appropriate the funds.
According to a statement from Project Eleven, the quantum vault will operate based on a model the team calls “all-sweep.” Address can only store funds or transfer entire funds You can ship to a new address in one operation without having to do partial shipments.
When the quantum safe points in the following direction, “Quantum vulnerability” (vulnerable to quantum), That address will no longer be able to receive funds againThis is because the Vault system recognizes it as public and does not allow reuse. Your funds will be transferred to a new automatically generated address, but your public key will never be visible on the network, making your address safe again.
The statement does not provide any details. How will this generation of new addresses be managed? The same goes for what happens if a failure occurs during a transfer or if a user attempts to transfer funds from an external wallet whose status is unknown to an address that is already marked as vulnerable.
Designed to allow algorithm changes without changing direction
According to Project Eleven’s description, the development kit is libqc This is the basis on which quantum vaults operate and is designed to allow wallets to transition to post-quantum cryptography in the future. Users do not need to change their address. In that sense, currently in Ethereum, an account’s address is directly linked to the key pair that created it. When the key changes, the address also changes.
The statement claims that libqc resolves its dependencies using ERC-4337Ethereum’s smart account standard, separates addresses from the mechanisms that verify signatures. That mechanism exists within a separate smart contract, and replacing it is sufficient to change the algorithm without touching the address.
According to the Project Eleven team, once post-quantum algorithms such as ML-DSA and SLH-DSA (approved by NIST) become operational; The migration consists of its replacement. Currently, the only supported scheme is the current ECDSA.
The statement also mentions: Bitcoin parallel support. The libqc kit allows you to derive Bitcoin and Ethereum keys from the same 24-word recovery phrase. This means that developers building on top of libqc can manage addresses for both networks from a single access point without requiring separate phrases or keys for each.
Project Eleven embargo It is not specified how far Bitcoin will be supported.Since it is not clear whether quantum storage It doesn’t allow signature transactions on that network, nor does the sweep model apply to Bitcoin addresses either.
The Project 11 report describes the two tools as reference implementations. Different from end-user ready-to-use wallets. This means it’s a technical model for other developers to study, adapt, and integrate into their own projects without the need for user support or production-scale testing.
Ecosystem advances in post-quantum protection
The launch of Project Eleven joins other recent initiatives. As reported by CriptoNoticias, the Starknet team, Ethereum’s second layer (L2) network, has introduced S2morrow to its main network. Create an account using post-quantum cryptography with Falcon-512a signature scheme based on lattices (mathematical structures thought to be resistant to Scholl’s quantum algorithm), standardized by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Eli Ben Sasson, co-founder of StarkWare Industries, which is developing Starknet, called the development “a concrete step toward quantum resistance.” However, according to Starknet’s own statement, S2morrow is not yet integrated into the network’s popular wallets such as Argent and Braavos. Therefore, it is currently not available to general users.
In the Bitcoin ecosystem, Postquant Labs announced the Quip Network. A wallet that adds post-quantum signatures through a scheme called WOTS+ Arch Network is an external layer of the base Bitcoin protocol that allows the network to be linked to smart contracts.
What these efforts (quantum-vault, S2morrow, Quip Network) have in common are: No changes to the underlying Bitcoin or Ethereum protocols are required It works, but it’s not yet within the reach of ordinary users.
The pattern that emerges in this context is that of an ecosystem that builds post-quantum infrastructure on external layers while the underlying protocols evolve at different paces. If that infrastructure matures and reaches production wallets before quantum computers reach crypto-related capabilities, the transition could happen in stages. Otherwise, the gap between technical readiness and actual implementation will become a central issue.
(Tag translation) Bitcoin (BTC)
